TF Musings

["Philip Veerman" <>]

A slight change of topic, though I'm with Martin, they don't show much bother with casual human attention nearby. I suspect the nest on Mt Taylor was not successful. Christine wrote of young chicks. When I was there I could not see chicks but I know from prior nests that if the chicks are under the parent if you can't see their beaks or eyes, they are basically undetectable as the parent's feathers just merge into a grey fluffy mass and you can't see the difference. But I suspect that they were not big enough to have left by the next week. That is no proof. I heard a story years ago of someone who had observed a nesting Brown Goshawk (family) to have over a few days eaten a whole Tawny Frogmouth family.

 

As for theories, the only obvious point is presumably they choose their nest spots at night time and there likely isn't much human activity at those sites at night time.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----From: Martin Butterfield [
Sent: Tuesday, 21 October 2014 9:53 AM
To: Robin Eckermann
Cc: COG List
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] TF Musings

Robin

When I first noticed the Froggies at our place I was concerned that mowing the grass under their nest site might disturb them.  Not in the slightest: I have used a brush cutter 2m below their perch and they haven't even  bothered going into branch pose.

They have been using the same roosts (in different proportions each year)  for about 6 years to my knowledge.

The most I have seen them react to other birds is when a pair of Pied Currawongs swoop their nest and the male's reaction is usually to open his cavernous gape which seems to give even a 'wong food for thought.  This was carried to extreme last year when the chick fledged to a branch near the nest and was more exposed to the attack: on that occasion the female Frogmouth came to the assistance of the male and they managed to shepherd the chick back to the protection of the nest.

Thornbills and fantails will occasionally decide to mob the roosting birds (which has on occasion helped me to locate a new roost site) but they pay far less attention to that than I do to a mosquito!

Martin

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

On 21 October 2014 09:19, Robin Eckermann <> wrote:

A pair of Tawny Frogmouths was sitting on a well-known roosting spot on the path up to Mt. Ainslie from the War Memorial this morning - after a long absence. They sit within about 3m of a path that is frequented from pre-dawn until well after dark - with multiple people (and dogs) passing by every minute during busy times. Over the past five or so years a pair has used this spot most years, typically for several months at a time before they disappear.

This prompts me to wonder:

1. Is this the same pair coming back to a highly favoured roosting spot that they've used over many years?

2. Is this a new pair that has just discovered the spot and has yet to learn the extent of human proximity ... and when they do, they will give up on the spot after a few days/weeks/months?

3. Is there some subtle and maybe counter-intuitive reason why human proximity makes for a good roosting spot - like reduced daytime harrassment from other birds for example?

I'm sure there are lots of other theories - maybe someone who knows these things much better than I will be able to shed some light on TF behaviour.

Robin Eckermann