Terry’s front currawong is indeed aggressive when in
nesting mode. It once attacked the fluffy cover on my mike, perhaps
taking it for a possum or cat. I had not (as we like to say on this
chatline) seen that before. I think the N Miners might be in ‘wandering’
mode. At present I have group of 3-4 around here, where they are certainly
not resident.
From: terry gourlay
[
Sent: Wednesday, 8 April 2009 4:08 PM
To: hot line
Subject: [canberrabirds] RE:Currawongs 36-Small Passerines nil.......
Dear All,
At the risk of
seeming tedious I would again draw peoples attention to the dearth of small
passerines in the Majura foothills behind Mackenzie St Hackett....The only
birds that are prospering seem these dratted Currawongs,larger parrots and
Crested Pigeons....I could have added Noisy Miners to the list but on Sunday
while in the back yard,my attention was drawn to three Mynas trying to fend
off an attack on a fourth from two Currawongs,as I watched another two
Currawongs came to join the fray....All over in half a minute....But I started
to reflect "Strange,where are the rest of the Colony of Miners usually
about Ten?" Since then I have looked for the birds in their usual haunts
(Usually they stick around in a 300 yard radius of my back gate)and also a
second Colony about four hundred yards along the track....Not a Sausage...Well
them that live longest see the most!only time will tell.Another casualty to
these vermin is the Eastern Rosella he seems to have dissapeared too,as I saw
one taken by Currawongs off a feeding table about five years ago they are
probably also casualties ....there seems plenty of seed for them so assuming
there is no dreaded Pollypandemic I think we could reasonably assume it is the
Currawong...Oh 36-nil?well I thought before the Honeyeaters come through to
distort the figures I would count the Small passerines and Currawongs
encountered during a half hour stroll up the hill behind my home....As an
aside,there is a Currawong nest used every year in a tree in front of my
home,it might make a valuable exercise for some student perhaps to examine the
food remnants in that nest....Failing that why not expand the Mynah trapping to
Currawongs?..
Let
ninemsn property search for you. Need a new place to rent, share or buy?
