I think there is a Lyrebird record for Black Moutain. But that was
apparently soon after some big fires.
Con
John Layton wrote:
At 0630 today we decided to go for a drive in the cool to see some
birds. Arrived at the well-oiled carpark off Stockdill Drive and
walked along the little path towards the lookout. Action started
before we reached the end of the blacktop.
HIGHLIGHTS : In shrubs by the fence two Southern Whiteface and, on the
fence, five Double-barred Finches, couple of Speckled Warblers on the
ground. Further towards the lookout , two Yellow Thornbills in a
feathery foliaged /Acacia sp/., right in the type of habitat where
they’re supposed to be. Couple of Rainbow Bee-eaters hawking in the
morning air and a perched Nankeen Kestrel. Could hear Stubble Quail
calling but unable to sight them. Pair of Rainbow Lorikeets passed
directly overhead, coming from the north heading south.
We stood on the lookout, heard a ruckus from downstream and, a good
400m away, large birds issued across the water from our side of the
river. Although it was a bit of a challenge with 8x binos we were
reasonably satisfied they were Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos. At first
only about ten appeared, and we thought they were creating quiet a din
for so few, but as Johnny Horton sang of the British in /The Battle of
New Orleans/, “They kept a-comin”. Within seconds there were about 30
angling across the river just above the surface. Distance thwarted
accurate estimate. But the show wasn’t over. Seemingly on top of the
tail-end-Charlies there came a raptor. Best I can say of it is it
appeared larger than a medium-sized raptor. As the cockatoos began to
follow the rising terrain after crossing the river, the raptor
appeared to crowd down upon a straggler. Anyhow it landed on the
ground but, again, the tyranny of distance had us licked insomuch as
we couldn’t confirm if it had taken a victim and couldn’t tell if it
was mantling. We lowered the binos to give our eyes a rest and, when
we attempted to relocate the protagonist, were unable to.
We stood and enjoyed the cool of early morning as a Murrumbidgee
zephyr soothed our frustrated brows, and the clear call of a Boobook
carried to us from somewhere downriver. We heard it call twice.
“Do these owls call during daylight?” I wondered aloud.
Suddenly the morning tranquillity was sundered by the strident call of
the Auburn-crowned Babbler, “ I know, Papa-san, I know, she shrilled.
“You know what? I growled, a bit startled.
“It’s a Lyrebird mimicking a Boobook.”
“Nice try, Chica, but wrong habitat,” I said.
Could someone say if Boobooks call during daylight hours, and, for the
sake of detente, confirm that the dry woodlands of Shepherds Lookout
would be unlikely habitat for a Lyrebird?
John K. Layton.
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