An observation of the Yellow-vented Bulbuls nesting process

Yellow-vented Bulbul are very common bird in our garden and park! Don't know the trend or whether it would be the same pair, but are caught nesting oh! so often. Most times the nest site are almost reachable by hand or within touch. Not ethical to climb up and peep at the nest. We kept our distances. This time, a nest is found at eye level. Pray that this nesting would be successful to allow me to follow through till fledging

Tuesday 30th June

The nest must have being going for days but this was the first the picture taking started

Thursday 2nd July

Looks like hatching would be soon!

Monday 6th July

Yes! first day saw babies, a pair of them in nest. Eyes still not opened yet

Parent standing guard over nest

Tuesday 7th July

Parent getting very conscious, a quickie but blurred picture before I rushed off. The chicks clearly alert and waiting to be fed

Wednesday 8th July

The mother brought the feed back. Both chicks were very responsive. Eyes still not opened yet. Through instinct, they know when and how to reach out!

Heavy feeding had started! Most times, one bird will get preferred and grows stronger and faster while the second could be abandoned. Hopefully in this nesting both chicks would come out healthy and equally

Thursday 9th July

It has being a very wet day with small breaks in weather, not easy for the parent to collecting ideal food. So this first one look like a fruit

This second one also look like a fruit too!

After observing for a while, the chicks though blind at this time remaining in a dormant most times, response to sounds

Some kind of sound that was too soft to be picked up by us. Here is another occasion of false alarm when both chicks kept a stand by pose.

Friday 10th July

Yet another dull and wet day.  Though very light drizzle, the surroundings was quite bright. I still have to up the ISO to 1250 to get decent shots

Everything about the nest and chicks were good and normal. Point to note for this day is that the eyes of the chicks still closed

Saturday 11th July

This day being a weekend, those working class found time to catch up with this frenzy, there was no chance for the parents to be doing any feeding as it world confirm the existence of the fragile chicks.

Then before noon, the rain sets in again. It drove the crowd away and also prevented me from following up.

By late afternoon with an umbrella, I had to get my record for the day. Both parents were present frantically making up the lost time of the day. The birds both visibly still spooked but I left as fast as I showed up. Could see that eyes of the chick partially opened today.

Sunday 12th July

Today is Sunday, weather is good will bright sun. Was skeptical as the crowd would be there waited till past noon. By then the sky turned gloomy. Beyond my guess no one was there today

Though lighting was below ideal, but got a few shots with the parent at ease. Here is one feeding a fruit

And another showing the progress made by the chicks at the opening of the eyes. Saw it today, one chick got fed more frequent. The selection process to identify the stronger chick has started.

Monday 13th July

This day, a weekday, I need not fear of crowd. Reached the Park about 9am when most morning joggers would have dispersed Set up myself with a screen, getting the setting right and waited. In a peep hole I could see the parents feeding without alarming them. At home I unloaded and choose pictures. To my alarm, one chick was missing. Must have dropped off from the nest. The positive point was that the bare skins started to be covered up.

I kicked myself for not paying attention to check the pictures before I leave. In the afternoon, I couldn't stand the guilt anymore. Went back to check. Lai was there and informed me that the chicks had fell out several times. they retrieved and left in back into the nest.

Here is a happy picture to end this day of watching.

Tuesday 14th July

Reporting getting mundane, Today's picture showing the parent doing house cleaning and removing chick feces from the nest

The second picture showing the progress made by the chicks, the dominant chick was getting better feathered while the weaker one still bare at the neck

The eyes fully opened and could respond to sight.

Wednesday 15th July

By calculation , today is the 10th day after  the chicks were hatched. Most Bulbul chicks start leaving the nest after the 9th day. Feathers on the dominant chick, looks good. The second chick [inner-right] is still bare at the neck plus the wing feathers are still in development stage

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This picture taken in early morning was done in hostile lightings. leading to very unreal hue. Hope the weather holds for me to take some afternoon shots.

Thursday 16th July

My estimation was correct, despite of the heavy overcast I made it a point to be at the nest early. Too late, the chick had left the nest and perched on its edge. Though not having left its vicinity, considered "Fledged"

The chick was seen continuously doing its exercise and its wing feathers maturing at an astonishing rate. The parent was feeding the dominant chick less often. But was even pulling its feather and urging it to fly elsewhere

Here a scene where the lesser chick was getting more food. Am happy to see another successful nesting but this page will continue until both the chicks leaving and abandoning the nest

 Got a picture from Rose showing the Fledged chick in another tree - Well done parents.

Friday 17th July

Checked the vacated nest this morning to see the grimed truth, the second chick was abandoned though it is fed yesterday

Not a perfect ending, but sad to see the reality - survival of the fittest