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Yesterday a friend at Ludmilla in Darwin called me
to let me know a Rufous Owl which irregularly roosts in a large Terminalia tree
in her garden was back with the remains of previous nights catch still gripped
in its claws. The owl roosts very high in the tree usually in a spot where
overhanging palm fronds give it some protection from the honeyeaters and black
butcherbirds which spend the daytime harassing its sleep. After much study we
decided the catch was a large rat as it had a very long bare tail which was most
unlike a bandicoots or possums, every now and then the owl would open its eyes
have a bit of a peck at its meal before dozing off again.
Its nice to be back in the sunshine again, we just
came back from two weeks in NSW where it rained everyday, greatly reducing my
chances to go birdwatching. Bird highlights were a Satin Flycatcher pair in my
Mums garden in the Blue Mountains,and lots of Musk Lorikeets at
Mudgee.
Steve
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