late Koels

[martin butterfield <>]

My impression is that other cuckoo species (out in Carwoola Fan-tailed and Pallid) are also vocalising much more than is usal for this time of year.

On the subject of Koels Nick Nicholls has pointed out a really stupid error in my column in Gang-gang for February.  I said "In both cases the tendency is towards “later”: come later, leave later."  In fact the graph and the data shows that the tendency is to come EARLIER. With sequential week 1 beginning on 3 July,  the first koels arrived around sequential week 20 (mid-November) in Year 15 and now turn up around sequential week 15 (mid October)  This actually reinforces the more significant trend of them being observed for longre!.   

I apologise for this daft error and thank Nick for pointing it out.

Martin

On Fri, Feb 25, 2011 at 6:46 PM, Michael and Janette Lenz <> wrote:

Very interesting that we still have so many observations of Koels, males calling, and until recently also sightings of females. Amongst other things there may be 2 explanations for this: There is still plenty of food in the many fruit trees across town. Importantly, their main host, the Red Wattlebird, appears to have had an extended breeding season this summer. Over recent weeks I found in many places still pairs with dependent young, although in most cases the young were getting close to adult size. But today at the Ainslie shops were two young only quite recently out of the nest. This would indicate that host nest suitable for laying were available to the Koel at least until early January. The latest observation by Michael Kingsford (posted today) of a dependent Koel being fed by Red Wattlebirds confirms that some female Koels have managed to locate such late broods and to deposit an egg in them.

 

Michael Lenz

 

 

Chapman Koel

from [Jack & Andrea Holland]

[Permanent Link][Original]

To:	< m("canberrabirds.org.au","canberrabirds"); CTRL + Click to follow link" href="" target="_blank">>
Subject:	Chapman Koel
From:	"Jack & Andrea Holland" < m("bigpond.com","jandaholland"); CTRL + Click to follow link" href="" target="_blank">>
Date:	Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:55:11 +1100

still giving both calls from the Banvard Pl direction round 6:15 this morning â this is seven weeks later (at least from here) than their usual early New Year departure.

 

Jack Holland