This morning at 5am there was a Powerful Owl calling for several minutes in our
street at Winmalee (80km west of Sydney). These birds seem to move up onto the ridges in summer and
autumn and then return to the valleys in winter to breed each year.
Also on Tuesday 10/1/06 I went for a walk in Blue Gum Swamp (also in Winmalee).
Scarlet Honeyeaters, Noisy Friarbird and Red Wattlebirds have moved into the
valley in numbers, presumably in response to the flowering of Eucalyptus piperita,
although most of the Scarlets were in non-flowering E.piperita and Melaleaca
styphelioides. I also saw two separate fledgling Channel-billed Cuckoos making
their begging calls with one of the birds occasionally breaking into one or two
adult calls. These adult calls would result in several Pied Currawongs rushing
into the area only for them to again hear the begging calls and stimulating
them to find food for the fledgling.
Neil Kirby
