Outing to Urambi Hills - Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoos

[martin butterfield <>]

I heard the first call of a Hoprsfield's bronze -cuckoo of rthe year at Carwoola this morning.   The attached extract from Google Earth shows the approximate relationship between Mulligans Flat, Urambi Hills and our house. (To give a sense of scale,  Urambi is about 27km SSW of Mulligans Flat)

Also calling this mornign wa a Yellow-faced Honeyeater.  I have recorded them here a couple of weeks ago but this was the first one in full song.  I had forgotten how tuneful they are: definitely deserving of a 'bush-canary' appellation.

Martin

On Wed, Aug 19, 2009 at 2:53 PM, Steve Holliday <> wrote:

The Horsfield’s B Cuckoos must have just arrived, there were also 2 calling away at Mulligans Flat today, didn’t hear any yesterday, several Pallids in good voice as well.

 

cheers

Steve.

 

From: martin butterfield [
Sent: Wednesday, 19 August 2009 2:36 PM
To: COG List
Subject: [canberrabirds] Outing to Urambi Hills and plan for next month

 

Gang-gang editors please include the items in next edition.

Outing to Urambi Hills 19 August

21 members and guests turned out for a trip led by Michael Robbins to his local patch.  Excellent weather was arranged, with birds to match.  In total 47 species were recorded comprising a mixture of Winter birds and returning migrants.

The catalyst for going to this venue was Michael recently noting large numbers of Flame Robins and some Diamond Firetails in the area.  Despite the reports of large numbers of Flame Robins in Namadgi and similar locales, we spotted 3 brown birds of this species as well as at least 4 Scarlet Robins.  The Diamond Firetails were unfortunately elsewhere.

Honeyeaters were well in evidence with flocks of 4 and 6 Red Wattlebirds almost certainly being returning migrants.  Other honeyeaters seen were White-eared, White-plumed, Yellow-faced and Eastern Spinebills.  3 Black-fronted Dotterels were seen on a dam and 3 Australian Pipits were chasing each other on the hillside.  Raptors were evident with Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Goshawk and Nankeen Kestel seen over the hills.

Bird of the trip was a Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo.  This was initially seen clinging to a mullein stalk and later observed walking on the ground being chased by a female Flame Robin.  The bird then flew to the top of a dead tree where it was further harassed by a White-eared Honeyeater.  Both assailants are listed in HANZAB as host species for this Cuckoo.

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