The house opposite us in Deakin has a water leak with a resulting mud-hole that has been there for many months but is particularly juicy since the rain.
The hole has become the “Bunnings” of the Magpie Lark world. Two pairs run continuous collection sorties. I don’t know how many nests have been constructed from the rich materials they find.
A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a movement which had not been apparent. A female Gang-gang was wallowing in the mud and was almost the same colour as the mud. She was there for several minutes while I watched. She was pressing her chest
into the mud on a little “island”. Today, again. Same story – I presume the same bird. (I have been away for a week so I don’t know if the behaviour was continuing last week. Probably so.)
A photo is attached. Any ideas what she was doing or why? Is it regular behaviour? I have never seen it.
David Rosalky
