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I also
suppose The
most obvious choice would be a Brush-tailed Possum, I also thought about
a goanna as a possibility. Ultimately this is a question at which we don't know
what is the answer, so the question has no end point. That the goanna is rare or
non occurring here doesn't mean that widespread birds don't also fear them here,
even if it wasn't one. Do I need to repeat yet again my story of birds becoming
very agitated about a baseball glove that I thought looked like a very
threatening reptile that I wrote about in CBN about 25 years
ago.
Philip
I
do not recall ever having seen a goanna around Canberra. The Lace Monitor
is said to be extremely rare, Rosenberg’s Monitor less so. Snakes are
common of course, and are resident in and around the Newline
Paddock.
From: Rod's
Gardening [ Sent: Monday, 18 March
2013 7:54 PM To: Denis
Wilson; Mark Clayton
Cc: Sue Lashko; canberrabirds chatline Subject: Re:
[canberrabirds] Newline
Denis could well be
right. I recall seeing a SC Cockatoo physically tweaking the tail of
a goanna in a tree at South Durras - looking quite fearsome with sulphur
crest fully erect, wings fanned, and making a helluva noise. The goanna
seemed unfazed. I don't recall seeing a hollow in the vicinity, but there
could have been (with cockatoo eggs in it) given the ferocious nature of the
cocky's onslaught.
Subject: Re:
[canberrabirds] Newline
I was going to suggest a Goanna
(think of it as a fat snake with legs).
Easier to explain than Mark's
amusing but hard to fathom anecdote.
Cheers
Denis
On Sun, Mar 17, 2013 at 8:30 AM, Mark Clayton <>
wrote:
Sue,
The
most obvious choice would be a Brush-tailed Possum; I don’t think Newline is
all that good for Ring-tailed Possums and Sugar Gliders. The other possibility
could be a snake of some sort. Many years ago working in a swamp in the
Booligal region I had the job of climbing trees growing in water checking
holes for nesting duck species, mostly Pacific Black Ducks and Grey Teal. I
had a torch that was just about to die and had been feeling around inside a
hole to check for eggs. I didn’t feel anything and had one last look with what
was left in the torch. All I could see was a curious flicking movement. A
somewhat closer inspection revealed an Eastern Brown Snake curled up in the
hole!!!! Why it didn’t bite me I will never know but I was certainly a lot
more cautious putting my hand into dark places after that. The hole was about
30 feet (in the old language) up in a River Red Gum and how it got that high
up I have no idea.
Cheers,
Mark
From: Sue
Lashko [ Sent: Saturday, 16 March 2013
11:53 PM To:
canberrabirds chatline Subject:
[canberrabirds] Newline
I had a rather interesting time doing my woodland survey at
Newline today. A large Angus bull which was rather protective of his
ladies made for a bit of excitement when I was surveying one of my sites but
most of the fun was in the front paddock when I was doing a final sweep
looking for Brown Treecreepers (without success). I heard a great ruckus
as Noisy Miners all headed in one direction, so I followed thinking perhaps it
was a Collared Sparrowhawk that had been active earlier. However, it was
not. The miners (about 10) were mobbing at the entrance to a tree
hollow and they were joined in the tree by 2 Peewees, 3 Crimson and 2 Eastern
Rosellas, 2 SC Cockatoos, 2 Magpies, a BFCS and an Indian Myna.
There was no sign of anything in the hollow, although I presume an owl was
deep within. The miners and myna returned again and again to the
entrance to the hollow without perching and then after about 10 minutes of
this a Grey Butcherbird arrived and went and sat on the rim of the hole and
peered in for about 2 minutes before moving about a metre away where he
remained. I watched the hole from a distance for another 10 minutes
or so but nothing appeared and the GBB stayed put, but the others got bored
and moved on. Any other suggestions apart from an
owl?
--
Denis Wilson
If
you're not pissed off with the World, you're just not paying
attention.
(Kasey Chambers)
"The Nature of Robertson"
www.peonyden.blogspot.com.au
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