They Work!!

These three gorgeous Australian Ringneck parrot chicks were photographed today at Ardross Primary! They are about 3 weeks old, and should be ready to fledge in about a week, by which time the last of the feathers on their heads will have emerged. This breeding record is the first success story for our Schools Nest Box program, and is really encouraging for future success!

When I arrived at the school today many children were excited to run up and tell me about parrots being inside the box. You might remember from this post that the school first told me about the nest box’s occupancy a few weeks ago, and the kids had enjoyed writing down their observations about the ringnecks. The Deputy Principal Catherine Bishop showed me the wonderful ‘Bird Notes’ book at the school today, and I was SO impressed! This book contains the children’s observations of birds at their school seen looking at the nest boxes, and other interesting sightings. In many cases the children write entries, but where they are a bit young the teachers write in what the kids say. Check out this:

 

 It gives us so much pleasure to hear that the nest boxes have captured the attention of children at the school, and they have continued to take ownership of their boxes by keeping detailed records. No doubt, the successful pair of ringnecks have been keeping an eye on the school kids too, from their prominent perch above the courtyard (below). Hopefully they will remember their happy breeding site and return next year to raise more chicks!