Male Besra Hatches 4 Eggs at Bangkong Kahoy

[Ely Teehankee]

It seemed a little bit strange to see the male Besra (Accipiter virgatus) 10 1/4 inches sitting on the nest. For a while it looked like maybe he take turns with the female Besra in sitting on the eggs until it hatches. No one has seen the female since the male started sitting on the eggs. It is feared that the female may have disappeared without a trace. What is amazing to see that he was able to hatch 4 eggs. Even more amazing was that he single handedly hunted and fed the 4 hatchlings until they fledged. I was lucky to have witness the last day that they were fed by the doting father.




Canon EOS 1DX, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, M-3.6 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head. Manual exposure in available light.





The 4 hatchlings has been venturing out of their nest but once in a while they come back hoping that the parent would bring in food for them. Here is one fledging waiting at the nest for the father to come. After a while he leaves the nest.
1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200






The father arrives with a fresh kill. Seeing no one he leaves the nest to continue to clean his kill. They normally remove the feathers of their prey before bringing it to the nest so as to keep the nest clean and free of ants.
1/60 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200






Another chick comes back to the nest. I really can't tell the difference as they all look alike. He waits with one leg lifted up. It seems like they enjoy standing up on one leg. After a while he leaves the nest.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200






This chick seems to be crying out to the father, asking for his food.
1/100 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200






The father arrives to the delight of the chick. The father no longer feeds the chick. He leaves the carcass for the chick to learn how to eat by themselves.
1/80 sec., f/5.6, ISO 3200




It was a delightful experience to witness this event and I am happy to be able to share these pictures with you.

[William Lim]

great captures, Ely

[Ely Teehankee]

May 21, 2014 2:15:25 GMT William Lim said:

great captures, Ely

Thank you William. The 4 hatchling have fledged so you will not be able to take their pictures until next year should they come back to nest. The problem is the disappearance of the female Besra. There is still another Besra nest at Bangkong Kahoy but the angle is steep upwards so it would be difficult to take a good picture unless the bird is standing up. The good news is the White-browed Shortwing is still there.

[Tateo Osawa]

Very nice documentation of the Besra, Ely.

[Ely Teehankee]

May 23, 2014 9:26:41 GMT Tateo Osawa said:

Very nice documentation of the Besra, Ely.

I have friends who see the pictures only without an explanation do not understand what is going on. This documentation with a story that goes with the pictures gives them a better understanding of what the birds are doing. Thank you Tateo for your appreciation.