Cassowary up-date

[Phil Gregory <>]

Just a quick up-date on the Cassowary situation here at Cassowary
House, Kuranda, Far N Queensland. It has been an unusual year as since
the male evicted the 3 chicks in late June (after 8 months), they have
been in the area- normally they are driven off with much aggression, but
this year he seemed to go into breeding mode very quickly and was himself
away soon after the split.    Sue Gregory saw the male and
female mating by the veranda on 24 July, and he was gone immediately thereafter.
    This has meant that when he vanished to go nesting, 
they were still about. Two of them hung together for weeks, but the third
split off after a fortnight or so of squabbling with these two. By October
we had the birds singly, with two individuals on Tuesday this week. The
big female turns up most days too, so it has been a good year for sightings
of them here, and we anticipate the return of the male, hopefully with
his new chicks, in the next month or so.
Good birding
Phil Gregory
www.cassowary-house.com.au