This morning my thermometer read -3 celcius. Yesterday afternoon a
horsfield's bronze-cuckoo was calling from a tree (Riverland, SA).
Regards
Peter Waanders
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Myers <>
To: 'Dr Richard Nowotny' <>
Cc: Birding-Aus (E-mail) <>
Date: Monday, 2 August 1999 9:59
Subject: RE: birding-aus Rushworth, Cuckoos & other things
>
>G'day Richard,
>Yes, I remember that posting and have been well aware of this for a while.
However, my point concerned Black-eared Cuckoo not all cuckoos in general.
Black-eared Cuckoos are fairly regularly recorded in some southern areas in
Victoria but I don't recall (off the top of my head - and this may reflect a
lack of research) records of this species so early in the year. Therefore,
my hypothesis is that it is indeed an unusual mid-winter sighting for this
particular species that is otherwise rather infrequently encountered on the
perimeters of its range. I suggest that this record is indicative of the
barmy/balmy weather we've been experiencing lately!
>see you soon,
>Susan
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Dr Richard Nowotny [SMTP:
>Sent: Saturday, July 31, 1999 12:56 PM
>To: Susan Myers
>Cc:
>Subject: Re: birding-aus Rushworth, Cuckoos & other things
>
>Hi, Susan. Re the apparent early arrival of this species, wasn't there an
>interesting, and apparently authoritative, contribution to b-aus recently
>which dealt with this same issue and made the case that many of the host
>species for cuckoos commence breeding in mid-winter rather than spring and
>that therefore the cuckoos must, and do, arrive in time to anticipate this
>breeding. The message was that unlike the northern hemisphere, with its
>hostile winters (and therefore necessarily spring breeding), breeding in
>Australia is not so focussed on spring.
>It would also be likely that the arriving cuckoos would be far less visible
>in mid-winter, ie before they actually commence breeding, because they
>would not have commenced calling.
>All of this suggests that it may be a misconception amongst us birders that
>mid-winter cuckoo sightings are unusual. What do you think? Is there
>evidence which either supports or refutes this thesis?
>Cheers.
>Richard
>
>
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