canberrabirds

Shepherds Lookout 19/11/09

To: "'John Layton'" <>, "'Canberra Birds'" <>
Subject: Shepherds Lookout 19/11/09
From: "Philip Veerman" <>
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:09:08 +1100
John,
 
Probably wrong habitat for a Lyrebird and when lyrebirds are mimicking they usually make a lot of sounds in sequence. Just one sound is unusual. Also they do not sing much if at all at this time of year. They sing mostly in winter. So it doesn't fit a lyrebird. However a Satin Bowerbird, Olive-backed Oriole and various other species that are potentially there, are more than capable of producing confusing mimicry of a Boobook, or most other things for that matter.  
 
 
Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah  ACT  2902
 
02 - 62314041
-----Original Message-----
From: John Layton [
Sent: Thursday, 19 November 2009 6:29 PM
To: Canberra Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds] Shepherds Lookout 19/11/09

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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