birding-aus

Re:- Where are the Kookas

To: "birding-aus" <>
Subject: Re:- Where are the Kookas
From: "Robert Inglis" <>
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 2000 13:54:16 -0700
Hello Kookaburra watchers,

On Mon Jun 05 2000 - 19:53:21 EST, Scott O'Keeffe posed the following question:

For Brisbane birdwatchers, especially, or anyone else.
Am I the only one to have noticed a paucity of Kookaburras in the last 6 months? My usual birding spots have in the past always produced the goods. But, lately, none at all, and in places where they always seemed to be present in the past. Any thoughts? Peter Woodall?

Puzzled.
-------------------------------

Laughing Kookaburras (I presume that's what we are talking about?) are not very common in my area (Woody Point, SEQld) these days.
I generally only hear them and usually that is before dawn.
However, a glance at my weekly records for the past 6 years shows that for the first 22 weeks of each of those years Laughing Kookaburras (no quantities) were recorded as follows:
1995 - 20 weeks
1996 - 16 weeks
1997 - 18 weeks
1998 - 15 weeks
1999 - 16 weeks
2000 - 17 weeks
 
In each of those weeks Laughing Kookaburra was recorded at least on one day. It is unlikely that in any of those weeks Laughing Kookaburra was recorded on each day of the week.
Also, given that I am not always awake at the normal ' Kookaburra-calling-time', I may have missed them now and then.
 
From that I would conclude that, in my area, there has been no obvious change in occurrence of Laughing Kookaburras.
I must say, though, that the last record is from the week commencing 14/5/2000.
 
Perhaps the reduction is some areas is due to the appalling practice of planting those hideous palm trees that everyone seems to be so keen on these days.
The view from my backyard is gradually being blocked off as more and more of these monstrosities mature around me!!
 
When was the last time you saw a Laughing Kookaburra perched in a palm tree (of any species)?
 
 
Cheers,
 
Bob Inglis
Woody point SEQld,
27 deg 15min 18 sec S; 153 deg 5 min 38 sec E
E-mail:
WWW: http://www.powerup.com.au/~inglisrc 
Oystercatcher info: http://www.powerup.com.au/~inglisrc/page016.htm (check-out the latest oystercatcher photos, 7/6/2000)
 
 
 
 
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