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An asylum of cuckoos.
Hi Stuart.
Great shots of the cuckoos! I'm so glad that you
captured those images because the ones I got were of such poor quality that even
my mother wouldn't have believed me (and she almost ALWAYS buys my lies!).
Your observations on feeding were "spot on" and seems quite different
than the other cuckoos I've seen, particularly the Pallids and Fan-tailed that
seem to "flycatch" more often.
I do hope that others get out to see this
pair. What is an aggregation of cuckoos called, by the way? A
"cluster"?
Anthony Overs had asked for a little blurb for the newsletter.
It would certainly be more persuasive with your photos.
By the way,
Martin Butterfield provided a Google map and I think the approximate spot
(assuming directions are true) is noted on the attached
image.
Chip
Stuart Harris wrote:
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: m("fwi.net.au","fantram");">
> To: m("ucalgary.ca","scialfa");">;
> 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 m("ucalgary.ca","scialfa");">
> Date: Tue,
09 Oct 2007 21:06:41 +1000
> To: m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds");">
>
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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