Saturday, August 3, 2013

Hornbills and the Weather

We must learn from the hornbill about our weather especially Jimmy the Piasau Oriental Pied Hornbill. Of all the commotion who built the nest and who break the nest. And finally we manage to put things together. In this ninth cycle of Jimmy and Faridah Nesting we have monitor the bird without disturbing them. There is a 12 hours video recording daily been setup at the area. The bird started to make the nest around 4 May 2013 and Closed it at 12 May 2013. It was found out that the Nest material was dissolved by heavy rain that came just coming in from the dry period. This is similar noted at the last season where the nest was assumed broken by a poacher during a heavy rain thunderstorm night which is similar to the night of 2 August 2013. Thus breaking of the nest by (the birds) either Faridah or Jimmy is not true. It in their natural instinct with weather pattern the know when to nest. A tide height table difference of Miri 2013 is being compare with the nesting session 2013 correlated with a dry season where the differences are at the maximum. Similar to the idea and theories who make who seals the nest opening of the nest. It was thought that Jimmy is making the nest. No. Jimmy only support in the making the nest by bringing materials like clay balls and wood chips. It was Faridah who munch these materials and padded it on the wall until the hole is small that she can no longer goes out. The making of the nest started on the 4 may and Faridah can no longer comes out on the 12 May. It took them around 9 days closing the nest opening. From 4 to 13 May Faridah came out of the nest ever every evening joining Jimmy. A few caressing was noted during this period, but no love making was recorded. All the while Faridah making the nest Jimmy will bring in foods. Food Jimmy bring over to the nest are garden snails, beetles, frogs lizards, baby or yellow vented bulbul besides Figs, berries and Oil palm kernel. Feeding is around 5 – 21 cycles per day. Mama Bird is out of the nest Faridah lays two eggs as soon as she seal herself that is 12 May. One of the egg hatch 28 days after sealing that is on the 9 June. Another one hatch a bit later not realises there is another egg in the nest., until we saw t sets of small beaks. On the early morning of 2 August there is a heavy rain and strong wind this soften the clay of the nest covering. Faridah who put out her wing out in the morning make the clay nest covering fall off. Then she flew out of the nest. The elder bird who is ready for flight flew off with after that. The second baby probably still nervous and may not be able to fly. It is estimated that they will fledge around 31 August. Jimmy miss calculate, rainy season came too early. One of the babies is still in the nest Jimmy stay around the nest where as the Mother flew high behind the house 53. The baby bird actually was where Jimmy was yelping in the morning. We only had seen it in the evening. Jimmy still came feeding the left out baby. Faridah have no business feeding baby. Around the evening Jimmy and Faridah was seen together. The baby who flown off earlier stayed at the casuarinas tree. There is a small call the baby is telling the parent that it is there somewhere. Jimmy is sure to know where it is. As this time of writing I saw Jimmy feeding the elder baby where as one of the baby was still in the nest. Faridah is around and hiding. I set up the camera and left it there to record if Jimmy still feed the left out baby.

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