New arrival at Loganlea

8th January.
Still growing and the feathers are getting a lot more pronounced now and taking on a definite pattern. Getting a bit more difficult now to differentiate from the older birds colouring
We aren't exactly sure when the hatching day was, but we assume that the youngster is about half way through the fledging process.
The second shot is a bit so so (They aren't so co-operative this morning) but it does show the wing growth on the youngster.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...11/01/1256.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...11/01/1257.jpg
Regards
Glen

Not too sure whether this current situation is "age related", as I can distinctly remember a time when our girls were teenagers that I often liked to get well away from them, (probably about the same time my mentality apparently took a deep dive, from their viewpoint at least, as usually happens with youngsters), or whether the nest deteriorated too much during the last lot of rain and they simply had to evacuate.
Whatever the reason the parent and the juvenile have both moved away from the nest today and spent the day in the sunshine sitting slightly apart on a different branch.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/01/957.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/01/958.jpg

Looks like we will probably only have the youngster's company for a week or so more so I might have to get back to working on Sweetpea again.
Regards
Glen

Still on separate branches. The "nest" has been abandoned.
That's Dad on the left and junior on the right.
Still need a couple of flight and tail feathers and we'll be off.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/01/916.jpg

Still doing a lot of scratching and preening. This growing feathers business must be a bit itchy.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/01/917.jpg
Regards
Glen

The youngster didn't look old enough and developed enough in my eyes to start flying, but the next day (today 15 January) there is no sign of either adult nor the youngster anywhere in their tree.
Lets hope he does well and comes back next year simply to satisfy our curiosity re his well-being.
I hope this saga has interested one or two people, as it has me, I apologise for the lack of Land Rover content but I couldn't seem to get one in the field of focus.
Regards
Glen

24th February now and pretty close to 6 weeks since the initial solo flight and departure from their tree, and today for the first time we have seen the complete family sitting close back in the same tree.
It is a bit hard to pick the juvenile now as he seems to have a full complement of feathers and I would assume is beginning to become quite competent at sustaining himself.
Two of the birds were here yesterday but we were unsure whether the little bloke was one of them, but today's sighting of the three in the same tree sort of confirms that all is well.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...011/02/171.jpg
Regards
Glen

Thank you so much for posting photos and progressive reports:D

Tawny Frogmouths are lovely birds. You see far too many dead ones on the roads after they have come down for a feed at night time and end up being hit by a car.

We actually picked one up near Goolma (NSW) many years ago, he had been hit by a car and had a broken wing. We took him to our local Vet, who specializes in birds, and he amputated his broken wing and we had him as a "pet" for quite a few years.

He hopped about out the back and we put a large cocky cage out for him. He would go in and out as he pleased. We fed him day old male chicks (obtained from the local poultry breeder who only kept female chicks) and chicken hearts.

We used to have a family living in one of our trees down the front paddock but they disappeared one morning & we haven't seen them since. Occasionally we see one sitting on the roof of our gazebo at night so there's still some around. If we leave a floodlight on outside, it attracts the moths and then the Frogmouths come in for the moths.

They tend to stick around if they find a safe nesting area, so you might have the pleasure of their company for some time.

Thanks again, Erich

A new family is sitting around undergoing training in local "things to accept - things to avoid" classes.
It is almost as if the family is on one of its first outings from the nest and being taught things like "That is a cat. He is old and pretty harmless....but watch out any way"
The older bird (on the left) is pretty blasé when Patsy or I walk around, or the cat for that matter, but the two youngsters are still fairly wide eyed.
They have chosen a different tree to nest in of recent years, one that is pretty well out of range of my camera and climbing skills, but the "Off duty" parent still comes to our place to rest during the nesting season.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/11/302.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/im...013/11/303.jpg
Regards
Glen

The Mopoke, hunts at night not many mice & rats around if you have a family of them Bob

MOPOKE OWL | Kersbrook Landcare Group Inc.

well there you go and here I was thinking they were tawny frog mouths

Those are Tawny Frogmouths which are a Nightjar and not a true owl,(Podarkis,"grotty feet")they have little power in their legs to jump off from a flat surface like a road, hense many are hit by cars,they make a low growling/Uumming sound to warn preditors.

We had a Frog Mouth a few years ago with a busted wing, the vet gave it to us to care for, sat on a cut down pick handle on our laundry tub with access to a cardboard box,had it for 6 or so weeks, let it go into our gum tree out the back, hung around for a couple of years or so.

The Mokepoke,(BooBook) is a true owl,smaller that Podarkis,they are the ones that you will hear calling,a little like an "Uh-Ou" repeated at 20-30 second intervals, we have a pair that regularly nest in our Mango tree.:D

cheers