We were excited last year when a Bush-hen turned up at Abberton on 30
December, and yelled and yelled for the best part of two weeks, granting us
occasional views. Quite a few people got to hear that bird, and a few
friends even managed to see it. He was bird #202 on our Abberton list, and
when he disappeared in January we accepted that we'd been lucky enough to
enjoy one of those odd birding one-offs that happen from time to time, and
the Bush-hen wouldn't be seen or heard of again.
Then on Boxing Day this year, a Bush-hen began calling loudly from the
creek-bank right across from the house. It started at about 6.45pm and it
was still going strong around midnight, which I wasn't - I'm sure the
Bush-hen was the last sound I heard from my bed that night.
Has the same bird returned? Has it possibly been hereabouts all year, but
only just re-announced itself? There are so many possibilities to be
considered.
The very next day, yesterday, when friends from a couple of kilometres
further up the creek came over, I played them the call. "Oh yes", they said,
"we've been hearing that at night!"
They are of course sworn to take their mobile phone down to the creekbank
and to call me as soon as they next hear the call. I hope to be sitting on
my verandah at the time, listening to a different individual Bush-hen.
There is a small mystery to be solved, with the possibility of at least one
exciting scenario if we can confirm that we have more than one individual
calling here.
Bill Jolly
"Abberton",
Lockyer Valley, Queensland.
Visit our website at www.abberton.org
email:
ph: (+61) 7 4697 6111
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