Aussie Finch Forum

Thanks for the compliment but I think luck has got more to do with it than anything else - No DNA service here. Looking at my pair it's the one with the narrowest chest band that is doing all the dancing and building. I just hope the other is a female and appeciates his efforts. He's gone for the duplex look, building a huge ball of grass next to a basket up near the roof. Unfortunately he likes to steal lining from other birds nest rather than get his own but perhaps that's because I haven't given him a choice - apparently he doesn't go for kapok. I brought back a feather pillow from Spotlight ($12) that I'm sure he's itching to get his beak into the contents.

I've no idea how big this nest is supposed to be but it's about four times the size of a zebra nest and appears to be complete but they still keep adding onto the outside of it. They lined it with feathers and plantdown from what I can see but it's a tight squeeze for them to get in - I might have to buy myself an endoscope! Is there a way of telling if it's a roosting or breeding nest?

They do build big nests.

Yes big nests. Here is one from a while ago. Only had two males back then. Both roosted in it.

They love very long grass to use in their nests.And yes they build huge nests.

Well I got a plesant surprise this afternoon - my diamonds have eggs. I was impressed by the giant nest they made (fully lined and everything) but I failed to notice the granny flat on the back until this afternoon. I've been wondering for days why I could only ever see one and was getting worried so I went to investigate. I hope my intrusion wont be resented too much. I know the stars have babies and from experience I'm not allowed to to look there so I hope shaking the brush where the nest is won't be resented too much.

hope all goes well with them Greg.

I did ge my hopes up. Unfortunately I've always found both birds in the flight since that day so either they are sitting very lightly or not at all. I heard baby stars last week but resisted looking even though I've not heard them this week I've resisted looking as I've been surpried in past by not looking and been disappointed by dessertion by being too inquisative. I'm no expert on the actual point where you should look like the time in early August I found a cut-throat on 19 infertile eggs after a very successful breeding season.

I don't know what's happening to these Diamonds. They stay in the nest for a few days and I assume I've got eggs, they then abandon the nest and build another. At the moment they are sitting tight on their 3rd nest. I'm hoping 3rd time lucky. As for the Stars that I reported on earlier, curiosity got the better of me and I found two mummifed fledgling sized nestlings.

Could be two hens? Or maybe the nests are being disturbed.