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Hello, I'm back with lots of good sightings

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Subject: Hello, I'm back with lots of good sightings
From: "Alan Gillanders" <>
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2002 11:27:02 +1000
Now that I am back on line I look forward to sharing all the birding gos again.
 

Have had some great wildlife experiences lately including many Tree-roos, courting Green Possums and a Golden Bowerbird doing its hovering display 1.5 metres in front of the face of one of my customers.

This lasted about 3.5 seconds but seemed much longer. The adult male bird had been moving around the vicinity of its bower for some time and added some lichen to the decoration which it rearranged slightly. we were standing still and speaking very little and the bird had shown an awareness of our presence. After flying off about 8 metres he then flew straight at us to 2.5m . Holding the head and body upright and almost motionless the wings moved at great speed while the tail was spread and folded twice a second. The effect was of a solid gold core flanked by liquid gold flowing rapidly over an uneven surface and all this was resting on a flashing triangular golden-yellow light.

It was a very "in your face" display even if it had not been so close. I felt that if the bird could talk it would have said words I could not bring to your gentle ears.

 It must be about 20 years since I last saw the display. On that occasion the adult male had just chased off an immature which was in the display area. It returned to near the bower and hovered for about three seconds. Unfortunately none of my four companions at the time saw it as my integrity was called into question by a number of birders to whom I reported the event. Now I have seen it three times; the last lasting only 1.5 seconds.

The Atherton Scrubwrens have left my garden some months ago but the Large-billed have had two nesting attempts. The first was 20 cm off the ground in some Calamus moti seedlings. the had two chicks which they abandoned after about four days. The second attempt did not lead to finished nest which was started in a Baeckea virgata about one metre off the ground.

The first Channel-billed Cuckoo of the season was seen here in Yungaburra on September 7th and they are still moving through in dribs and drabs. Koels started calling about mid-month.

Scarlet Honeyeaters and Brown HE have fledglings. Sunbirds, Lewins HE,  Bridled HE, Brown HE, King Parrots and Grey Whistlers are all nesting.

We have more raptors on the Atherton Tablelands this year than usual and other birds are turning up in places not usually seen. Bustards are in ample supply but not exceptional numbers.

Regards,

Alan Gillanders

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