My favourite stage of a kākāriki karaka nest is the last week or two before the nestlings take their first flight and become fledglings. Nestlings are growing (or have grown) feathers, and have become active inside their nest. They will be climbing up the nest walls (which of course we never see) but commonly they will poke their heads out the nest entrance and beg for food when they hear their dad arrive. (Mum will likely have already moved onto their second nest.)
Nestling waiting for Dad to supply lunch
When Dad arrives at the nest he will usually announce his arrival from up to 10m or so away. It could be a loud call, or perhaps a soft call is all that is needed. Fledglings will pop their heads out and compete with one another with the cutest begging calls. Dad will feed them until he's empty then leave.
This video was taken from about 10m from the nest entrance, which is about 12m off the ground. I took in a tripod, set the camera up and waited. I started recording when I saw and heard Dad arrive, he is calling from about 7m away to the right. The nestlings start calling immediately. The video is just over two minutes, and covers the entire feeding visit.
I started packing up the camera gear, then realised the light was a bit flat, and wondered if it would be better later when the sun hit the east-facing nest entrance. So I waited an hour and a half for the next feeding visit and also filmed that one. Right at the perfect moment a plane flew overhead and spoiled the sound.... After the feeding visit Dad spends the next few minutes in the tree to the right attempting to call off his babies. He thinks they're ready to fly. A few times one of them comes mostly out of the nest, and seems ready to fly, but then chickens out. I was willing the bird to come out and take its first flight but it was not to be. Perhaps the nest fledged an hour later, I'll never know. Next time I visited (a couple of weeks later) the male was in the canopy nearby in flight-training mode with his fledglings. Another successful nest.
