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Author Topic: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall  (Read 3410 times)

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« on: May 26, 2014, 02:41:03 pm »
Moving to France means that there is some unusual wildlife compared to the Midlands. Wild boar and singing frogs are two and Hoopoe are another. This strange bird has some similarity to woodpeckers but spends all its time probing the lawn for grubs. We've been lucky enough to have a pair make their nest in the wall of the house and a few days ago the first of two chicks was seen at the entrance to the nest being fed.


Hoopoe chick (Upupa Epops), Gascony, France


This one is rather greedy and as a result about 3 days growth larger than its sibling. But the smaller one was seen being fed yesterday. The film was taken at a very acute angle through the window of our shed so the image is slightly blurred -would have helped if I'd cleaned the glass first! They were about 20 days old then and should fledge at about 26 days, so hopefully I'll have another video of them venturing onto the lawn with their parents.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2014, 02:53:34 pm »

Lovely  :)  It will be great to see them all pecking around on your lawn.
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Bionic

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Talley, Carmarthenshire
Re: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2014, 02:57:21 pm »
Lovely video. I can almost imagine it saying "come on mum, were are you? I'm hungry"
Life is like a bowl of cherries, mostly yummy but some dodgy bits

HesterF

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Kent
  • HesterF
Re: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2014, 11:14:53 pm »
Jealous! I remember being desperate to see a Hoopoe when I was a child - it was listed as a rare visitor to the UK in my bird book and looked so attractive.

Mammyshaz

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • Durham
Re: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2014, 07:33:03 am »
I hadn't hear of one and was pleasantly surprised at the striking markings on mum. Nicen little bit of film  :thumbsup:

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2014, 09:50:09 am »
Found out yesterday that the strange 'sonar ping' noise we hear at night was the call of a Midwife toad.


Little chick was looking rather sorry for itself this morning and no sign of its parents either. First thought it had been abandoned and tried to think of a plan to save it from a slow death by starvation and thirst. It was clearly hungry as it was probing the cracks in the stonework around the entrance looking for food. Thankfully the parents turned up rather late at 10.00am. I think the larger chick had fledged earlier and the parents were with it. They have now left the fledgling to its own devices and come back to feed the little chick remaining in the nest. Hopefully it will now get plenty of food and fledge in a few days.


I don't think I will get any film of the 'happy family' on the lawn, but the camera is ready anyway.

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2014, 02:02:34 pm »
A neighbouring farmer, Mid Wales, told me that he saw one of these in his farmyard. Only on one occasion. He couldn't believe it!

He is a really keen birdwatcher and a really clever man .... well into his 80's now. He can tell me exactly when he spotted the first swallows of Spring each year and tells me about how bird populations have changed up here over the years.

Would love to see one.

chrismahon

  • Joined Dec 2011
  • Gascony, France
Re: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2014, 03:35:06 am »
The first time I saw one it was a bit of a surprise Inthehills. The headcrest feathers flare up into a fan shape when they are alarmed. The beak on an adult must be 2" long.


I was privileged to witness the second chick fledge a few days ago. The parents had been trying for two days to get it out of the nest. But with the nest being a small hole in the wall there was no way to exercise its wings so leaving was always going to be risky. After one feed early morning the chick was again called. It pulled its feet up to the edge of the hole and literally threw itself out into the air. First wing flaps were rather erratic but it managed to reach a tree about 30 yards away.


With the neighbour's cats ever present on the lawns around the house the adults are keeping the chicks well away. Funny thing -they have been back several times to feed chicks in the nest. But there aren't any and I have checked?

Ina

  • Joined Feb 2012
  • South Aberdeenshire
Re: Hoopoe chick in a nest in the wall
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2014, 08:54:22 am »
There was one somewhere in Scotland not long ago... Was  on the BBC website. They do occasionally lose their way and end up around here! I remember seeing one once - but can't remember where and when (old age creeping on!).

 

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