Geoffrey, very interesting, it must have been a big surprise. Checking the eBird Australia records from 2010 reveals single records of single birds at Callum Brae in June 2020 and June 2021, and
2 birds on Red Hill in September 2019, possibly from where yours was heading S.
Around noon yesterday a not so loud bang on our deck window alerted me to a bird which tried to flutter away but then came to rest under the deck table. I thought it was a female blackbird but on
closer inspection the barred tail first alerted me it was an adult Fan-tailed Cuckoo. It’s the first I’ve had in my Chapman GBS site since the 2003 fires, though there have been a few local records, particularly over the past couple of years, at both Narrabundah
Hill and Cooleman Ridge.
A slightly happier ending though. After recovering for about 15 minutes, on my approach it flew to a casuarina about 10 m away, where it recovered for another 15 minutes before it was last seen
about 10 minutes later foraging quite actively there.
Jack Holland
From: Canberrabirds <>
On Behalf Of Geoffrey Dabb
Sent: Sunday, 19 September 2021 3:58 PM
To: Canberrabirds <>
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Lock down protocaol for Birders
It was not necessary to leave my LOCAL REGION to investigate the loud THUMP on the window at sunrise this morning. I found an ex- Painted Buttonquail that must have been commuting south at some
speed at about 5m above ground level. Now in the freezer.
