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Have just spent the morning on the Mossman River,
where we saw something quite interesting that you might like to here
about.
We were sitting quietly watching a platypus feeding
along the edge, when a black butcherbird flew on to a branch nearby to watch the
platypus. After a couple of moments the bird moved in for a closer look and then
swooped at the platypus. There was no contact and the bird did not go far
away.
A few moments later the black butcherbird flew in
and pecked the platypus on the back of the neck. The platypus went under and the
butcherbird flew to a branch nearby. The platypus was up again in less than one
minute and the butcherbird swooped again, and there was no contact again. After
another couple of minutes the butcherbird flew off and the platypus continued
feeding.
We watched the platypus for about twenty five
minutes and towards the end of that time another butcherbird came and repeated
the whole process (minus the contact with the platypus). It may have been the
same bird or it may have been a different individual.
All this happened only about five kilometres from
the ocean, in an area that I have not seen platypus before. Perhaps the
butcherbirds have never seen one before and were just curious.
Any comments about this sighting would be most
appreciated.
Peter Cooper
Mangrove Man Tours
Mossman River
40 982 066
0409 982 066
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