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Hey Pnm , just caught up with this thread . Very nice pics under difficult conditions

Don't feel bad about the chicks not being in the nest anymore . Those little birds grow up very very quickly . I had something similar , with a couple of Robin-chats in my farmshed , using an old plastic-hessian sack to hide their nest in ( two years in a row too ) .
I think after hatching the little ones only took about 12 or 14 days before leaving the nest . The one evening they were there , the next morning gone . I thought maybe the cat got them , but even now , more than a month later , I still see the youngsters around in the garden .

And the grown-ups will probably also start another brood before end of summer .

So , just hang in there , I am sure they are around , happily feeding on insects in the undergrowth

Hi Okie - thanks for the encouragement. I am the eternal optimist and as a result of your post I have been out twice today to search for the fledglings. No sign of them. I observed the adults hawking insects but they doid not vanish anywhere to go to feed chicks. Still, as the eternal optimist I shall go as often as I can to see what is going on.

H Erectus - don't worry - I'm not soft in the middle - I just am an unashamed supporter of the underdog (underbird?). I know nature must take its course - but I was rather cheering for the three chicks. Also the Dusky Flycatcher is not an agrressive bird and seems unable to protect her brood from serious threats. Again, I champion the underdog.

The farmer told me this morning they have trouble with a feral cat that is living in the roof of the barn. I doubt if this is the culprit as there was absolutely no sign of the usual cat mess at a nest. It could have beena Coucal - I have never seen one at the farm but have heard them calling and I reckon one could easily have swallowed all three. Such is nature. And the Coucal is one of my favourite birds, too!

So - I remain optimistic over a second brood and shall keep tabs. I have been so heartened by the interest of all of you forumites in these little grey birds that are so often overlooked. There are plenty on this farm and unless one is aware of them they can easily be missed. To end on a cheery note I include a photo I took last year of the female on the nest where I know she successfuuly rasied one chick. I read Roberts on the issue of success on rasing broods and I reckon we are par for the course here. So, a picture of a contnented brooding bird on the nest to end. Watch this space for news - if it goes to the top of the list of active topics then you will all know that a second brood is on the way or have found the missing three.

Keep well all
Pete

As I said , hang in there

Good news. Okie was right. I hung in there and visited the nest site nearly every day and today I found one of the fledglings - but it is now a juvenile. See photo.

Just for fun I include a picture of one of the farmer's dogs - it somehow manages to regularly climb onto the barn roof to chase the feral cat I have as a suspect for eating chicks. I think I can include him on this forum as he is an honorary bird protector on the farm (He never chases birds). He has amazing "roof sense" and I think is safer than me on a roof! Also the photo includes a branch of the tree in which the nest is.

Keep well
Pete

Hey Pete -

Yah PNM what shall I say. Just had
my fair share of fledgling swallow.

Yet again the parents flit in and out
the "buitehuisie".... all over again.

Just hope the one from the previous
batch still happens to be flying up there,

the one lying in my hand when the......

Hi Pete,

Great that at least one of the nestlings survived
and there's nothing wrong with being a bit soft in the middle - all the best folk are.
Have a great Christmas and keep posting.

Jan

Lots of the little birds in Kirstenbosch.


African dusky flycatcher by jansp, on Flickr

Great photo granjan

I got this little guy in Dullstroom last year


African Dusky Flycatcher by trevor.charters, on Flickr

Nice shots everyone!

They can be quite common in the Skukuza area in winter. Snapped this one at the Skukuza day visitors'.