Nene nests!
BAY has by far the most beautiful nest of 2012... Her 5 eggs are surrounded by a lovely layer of golden juncus and a very dense down lining. Sat on the African fence line she has done an excellent job, with 4 fertile eggs plus one that I am uncertain with. The 5th egg is very pointy at the airspace end and there is evidence of die-off in the airspace. Eggs are wonderfully resilient things however so perhaps this one may make it after all. BAA and BAY have missed out on the 2010 and 2011 breeding seasons so it will be good for the flock to get some of their genetic input. In 2010 their nest was stolen by BBU and in 2011 a juvenile female kept dumping eggs in their nest and confusing things.
BBF and her old hubby AUD hatched off two little fluff balls sometime very early this morning. They were looking simply gorgeous when I went over to feed the pair late morning. This is a job well done for BBF who has only managed to hatch just one gosling in the last two years, albeit THE most photographed and celebrated gosling of 2010. They are an adorable pair, with a gentle nature and secretive ways. She is a master of the perfect nest, always making a pile of dry mature twigs that promote aeration rather than damp or dirty material. This year's was a little too obvious perhaps; and AUD is not so hot on the concept of nest defence. It seems as if BBF sits and rolls her eyes at him sometimes when he is feasting on wheat and she is under threat!
I love Nenes.
