Another (or my first GBS) Koel breeding record

["Philip Veerman" <>]

As I sit at my computer, the dy Koel is about 3 metres from me, squeaking for attention. It is in a dead peach tree that is full of a grape vine just by the window of this room. I found it there at 9 a.m. It was sitting fluffed up and untidy and the Red Wattlebird foster parents only fed it after about 10 minutes of my watching. Again I chased away a Pied Currawong that came to look at it. After some further minutes it got a bit more active and started eating the grapes off the bush. Now maybe having warmed up it is more active. Many feathers are still half in pin stage. There is still an adult Koel I hear calling somewhere near.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Philip Veerman [
Sent: Wednesday, 6 February 2013 11:35 AM
To:
Subject: [canberrabirds] Another (or my first GBS) Koel breeding record

I was just at my back door and heard unfamiliar bird sounds. Went to the front of the house to check this and in the Chinese Maple first saw two Red Wattlebirds fussing about a Pied Currawong. Oddly using sounds I don't know. But there was another call I don't know. I looked at where the Currawong was looking. There was a fledgling Koel. It was chirping constantly as young cuckoos do. Still quite unsteady on perching and moving about the tree. It was much smaller than an adult. This is the first evidence of breeding of this species for my GBS. Maybe not surprising. This year has been the first year that an adult pair (or in the last few weeks only an adult male) has been consistently in my GBS area throughout the spring and summer. I chased the Currawong away.

Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah  ACT  2902
 
02 - 62314041