Snoozy birds

An expectant grey feathered face examines me and I wonder if he is aware that the perch in which he stands in the source of his coveted bread. This young one, like many of his siblings, is too young to be interested in the activities that occupy his mother and father, older adult siblings and unrelated “uncles” and “aunts” that are now so occupied with nest building. This leaves me in charge of occupying the nine young ones (aged 7-11 months old) which are in fact, not the focus of my current study.

Usually the young ones occupy themselves with looking for food, preening and play, but as the adults of the group are busy, they approach me with curiosity. They know me as food lady, beholder of the bread, and maybe at their age, they have not properly associated the bread with the ceremonial whistle, sit down and the kitchen scale on which they are asked to stand. Adults know better, and in the absence of the three cues, do not often bother themselves to come ask for food (except for a few sassy ones that try their luck with doleful eyes).

But, as the sun ascends the sky, like birds of many varieties, the fledgling become snoozy and they head up into the protective branches of a gum tree to fluff up besides the adults for their daily afternoon snooze.