owl circus [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

["Flowers, Gregory" <>]

Hi,

       I was the Ranger at the ANBG that placed the dead Woodduck (roadkill) in a Melaleuca 20 metres away from the PO. I did this early in the morning and the PO was aware of my movement and aware that I had a Woodduck in my hand and was moving his head to watch me through the foliage. Mid afternoon when the Choughs were stridently harrassing the PO I returned to the area and there was a small crowd. Knowing where I had put the Woodduck I wondered if that was a trigger for this attack and looking I could see a group of about 8 Choughs in the Melaleuca where the dead Woodduck was. They were within a metre and obviously aware of the duck and "inquisitive". Feeling that this might have had something to do with the harrassment I then went and removed the duck. Almost immediately (might have been my intrusion) the Choughs stridency abated and some of the group(s) moved off. The main "harrassers" continued but their numbers dwindled and they had all moved off 5 or so minutes later. I am convinced that the dead duck had everything to do with the harrassment as I have never seen the PO "Choughed" before although I have seen a few other early morning harrassments.

Greg Flowers

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From: Philip Veerman [
Sent: Tuesday, 31 July 2007 1:04 PM
To: Suzanne Edgar; canberrabirds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] owl circus

Curious. I'd suggest that choughs may well be interested in haranguing a Powerful Owl in any daytime situation. They are after all potentially on the owl's menu. I doubt that a dead duck would have anything to do with it. Or that the choughs would be terribly impressed with a dead duck.

 

Philip