So our resident Wongas are raising yet another set of twins. They were sitting on eggs all through the March ‘big wet’ here in the Blue Mountains. The chicks need constant care and it’s time for Mr Wonga to take over the afternoon shift. His partner has been calling and calling from the nest high in a conifer.
Our native Wonga pigeons are creatures of habit. On the way to ‘work’ Mr Wonga plods around the garden paths, pausing for a drink along the way. Autumn is creating a problem with the maple leaves.
From the water dish it’s a few steps to the dry stone wall. Careful, I built that and it’s a bit unstable. 😂
Refreshed, he then makes his way to the take-off point below the garden arch. From here it’s a direct flight up to the nest, but is he in any hurry? NO! 😨🤬 It can take about half an hour of time delaying nonsense before he deigns to answer his partner’s increasingly insistent call.
No need to rush whatsoever, he thinks….. I’ll just make sure I’m looking spick and span. A few errant feathers to realign.
‘Oh yes, and maybe I’d better top up the internal larder with a few more seeds. the twins will be squawking for their lunch by the time I rock up.’ Wongas feed their chicks regurgitated seed and grain based ‘milk’. I often wonder how they gather enough when there are chicks , as they are not particularly focussed on the task.
Wonga’s partner is becoming a bit frustrated, and who can blame her? She has been sitting on the next for a few hours now, bless her. ‘Oh stop calling, I’ll be up there all in good time.‘ I have a nasty suspicion that he is deliberately delaying his shift….a little Wonga couple power struggle.
Finally Mr Wonga breathes deeply, stretches his neck and it’s up, up and away. You can just see him arriving at the bottom of the next photo. I swear he is saying, ‘OK my love, you can go now. Have a nice break’ 😘 Cheeky devil.
All serious now and the feeding begins. Not such a bad parent after all. He is very tolerant as the chicks fight for their turn at the beak.
A couple of hours later and the chicks are squirming around. Oh dear, Father has had enough and now it’s his turn to be calling to be relieved from his post. I secretly hope Mrs Wonga makes him wait a while too. 😍 😂
On a final note….the delightful Mrs Wonga asked me whether her bottom looked big in the following shot and I said, ‘Oh, of course not Sweetie!‘ 😂
