canberrabirds

2 x black-eared cuckoo at uriarra

To: <>
Subject: 2 x black-eared cuckoo at uriarra
From:
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:59:23 +1000
Got 'em :)  Not before going to the west side again and searching in vain!  
Went around to the east and found Milburn et al looking at them.  I saw 2, but 
apparently there are 3.  Got some poor photos.  Horsfield's & Shining there 
too.  If anybody is going out there tomorrow, it is the East Uriarra Reserve, 
in the casuarinas near the toilet block.  Note for the unwary, like me: there 
are 3 picnic areas, all with casuarinas and toilet blocks!

Thanks to Chip, Stuart et al.

Regards
Frank

-----Original message-----
From: 
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:03:06 +1000
To: "Stuart Harris"  
Subject: 2 x black-eared cuckoo at uriarra

> 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: RE: [canberrabirds] 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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