After hearing only 2 brief distant calls since the Saturday of the COG blitz (nearly 3 weeks ago) I traced some male and female Koel calling early this morning to same silky oak in Croton St Rivett where I first recorded a male on 23 October. This time
there were 2 males and 2 females in close proximity, moving around only slightly despite 2 Pied Currawongs coming in to harass them.
Just before 5:30 pm this afternoon I heard both male and female calls closer to home in Rivett. At 6:15 they came much closer and I found 6 birds, at least 3 females by call, frantically calling and chasing each other round in my GBS site for about 5
minutes. 3 (2 males) returned in my house trees at about 6:45 pm, calling but with a little less frantic chasing for about 5 minutes. They continued to be heard nearby then just after 8 pm 2 males and 2 females were again chasing each other frantically around
my GBS for about 5 minutes.
I have previously linked this behaviour with fledglings being around, as happened last year with a similar number of birds, but similar behaviour was witnessed on 26 October, just after they had arrived. Note that for the males only the wirra-wirra (or
whoa-whoa as I prefer) call was heard, the one they seem to make most when conspecifics are around and in particular when pursuing each other.
Jack Holland
Sent: Monday, November 7, 2016 1:02 PM
Subject: Koels
Hello subscribers, a couple of weeks ago I made a couple of posts about how the first Koel had arrived in my local patch and then the surprising early activity with a couple of males and a female being seen interacting.
However, this activity lasted for less than a week, indeed I haven’t heard one, even briefly for the past 9 days.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?
Jack Holland
