Lorikeet Home Seekers?
About a week ago I noticed a pair of Musk Lorikeets taking more than a passing interest in a hole in a eucalypt while on my "constituitional" round the neighbourhood of Bellerive. Over the weekend I was surprised to see them again at the same spot and watched and took the accompanying photos.. The eucalypt is in the coastal reserve behind Bellerive Beach, and the hole is in a dead branch some 6 metres above a car park. They appeared to be cleaning the cavity out. I know little about the breeding cycle of Musks, but I would be surprised if they bred before Spring. Do they normally stake a claim to a possible site some months before they breed? Or perhaps there is some other explanation about what they were doing. They both spent many minutes within the hole and these shots were taken just before midday.
About a week ago I noticed a pair of Musk Lorikeets taking more than a passing interest in a hole in a eucalypt while on my "constituitional" round the neighbourhood of Bellerive. Over the weekend I was surprised to see them again at the same spot and watched and took the accompanying photos.. The eucalypt is in the coastal reserve behind Bellerive Beach, and the hole is in a dead branch some 6 metres above a car park. They appeared to be cleaning the cavity out. I know little about the breeding cycle of Musks, but I would be surprised if they bred before Spring. Do they normally stake a claim to a possible site some months before they breed? Or perhaps there is some other explanation about what they were doing. They both spent many minutes within the hole and these shots were taken just before midday.
A bit of early spring (or late autumn) cleaning, perhaps? You wouldn't really expect them to get into nesting this early, I wouldn't have thought. Maybe it's a way of keeping the pair bond strong over winter.
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