Oh #$%^ I'll have to go out there again now! I assume they are not early
risers, or I was looking in the wrong place! Are we talking about the west
side car park, or east?
Regards
Frank
-----Original message-----
From: Stuart Harris
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:33:25 +1000
To:
Subject: 2 x black-eared cuckoo at uriarra
>
> Frank, et al
>
> I followed Chip's Hot tip for the Black-eared Cuckoo this morning and looked
> for it between 0915-1115 in the area described.
> I didn't find one.....I found two! There were Horsfield's Bronze in the area
> also and a very curious Tawny Frogmouth. The 'Cuckoos' all seemed to be
> feeding on the same item, a grub which i deduce is the larvae for a small
> orange moth which I discovered throughout the River Oaks (Casuarina
> Cunninghamiana) there. The Cuckoos were actively feeding in the smaller
> River Oaks close to the carpark, not the giant old ones towards the river.
> The Black-eared Cuckoos were quite feisty, making photography difficult but i
> managed to get a few reasonable shots, some of which are posted to my Flickr
> site:
>
> m("N00/?saved","//www.flickr.com/photos/50364443");=1">http:=1
>
> The Black-eareds seemed to have an insatiable appetite for the grubs and
> flitted between brranches, flying or hopping no more than one metre at a
> time. Sometimes they would invert. They did not seem to be to troubled by
> my presence or that of a large mower in the area. No calls were heard in the
> two hours there (other than one call from an immature Horsfield's toward the
> end). On a few occasions the two Black-eareds would perch together on a
> branch and chitter though no 'breeding nor courting-like behaviour was noted.
>
>
> Once again, thanks to Chip Scialfa for his diligence and awareness in
> percieving this uncommon species to our area. Hopefully a few more COGsters
> will have the opportunity to see the Black-eared before they move on (if
> indeed they do).
>
> Regards
> Stuart Harris
> "Everything is relative, everything is valid!"
>
>
>
> > Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:34:55 +1000
> > From:
> > To: ;
> > Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] black-eared cuckoo at uriarra picnic area
> >
> > I went out to Uriarra this morning at 5.30am for an hour and a half but,
> > unfortunately, no sign of your cuckoo. Both Horsfield's and Shining were
> > in the area, though. I would be interested to see your photos, Chip, if
> > you'd like to send them to me?
> >
> > Regards
> > Frank Antram
> >
> > -----Original message-----
> > From: Chip
> > Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:06:41 +1000
> > To:
> > Subject: [canberrabirds] black-eared cuckoo at uriarra picnic area
> >
> > > I would like to report what I believe to have been a Black-eared cuckoo
> > > at the Uriarra picnic area today. The details are below. Although I
> > > didn't have my camera, as I was watching the bird a visiting Japanese
> > > professor walked by. I asked if he had a camera with a zoom lens and he
> > > did. Unfortunately, the two images he sent only show the body and
> > > undertail feathers. There is no face. They may still be useful but are
> > > rather large images so I won't attach them now.
> > >
> > > Oh, other birds of note were Brown falcon, Gray currawong, Satin
> > > flycatcher (singing).
> > >
> > > Here are the details.
> > >
> > > Date: October 9, 2007
> > > Time: 12:30 13:15 pm
> > > Location: Uriarra picnic area parking lot, near the bathrooms, in the
> > > causarinas (sp?) between the parking lot and the river.
> > > Lighting: Sun with partial cloud
> > > Weather: 20 C, Fine with negligible wind
> > >
> > > Closest viewing distance: 4 meters at 30 deg gaze angle
> > > Average viewing distance: 6 meters at 60 deg gaze angle
> > > Optics: B&L 7X36 Elites
> > >
> > > Details
> > >
> > > Size: The size of a bronze cuckoo. Comparison species was YFHE in same
> > > tree. This bird was larger and seemed proportionately more chunky.
> > > Tail: About the length of the body.
> > > Primary projection: Considerably shorter than tail.
> > > Bill: black, slightly decurved and slender. In fact, almost delicate and
> > > not at all conical.
> > > Upper parts: Gray, including crown. Some downy feathers on scapulars.
> > > Lower parts: White. No steaking or barring on breast, belly or flanks.
> > > Face: Black eye stripe extending from base of bill to auricular area and
> > > slightly decurved. Rather dirty border with a white supercilium that was
> > > of equal width.
> > > Undertail feathers: Edged white with white barring on gray ground.
> > > Underwing pattern: Not observed.
> > >
> > > Why not either likely cuckoo-shrike? Size, white supercilium, thin bill,
> > > lack of barring on breast and barring on undertail feathers.
> > >
> > > Chip Scialfa
> > > Calgary and Canberra
> > >
> > >
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