On Wed, 28 Aug 1996 Mandy wrote -
>Four (so far) superb parrots arrived to feed at home in Murrumbateman on
>Monday - first of the season, and one day later (to account for the leap
>year, I think) than last year's arrival. Over 40 visited last season
>and am hoping for the same or more again.
>
>Also, I am hopeful that the two tawny frogmouths just outside my house
>are nesting, or at least getting it together..
>
>Exciting times at Murrumbateman!
Well folks, it's not quite that exciting here on the bushland campus of The
University of Newcastle BUT a Tawny Frogmouth is sitting on a nest outside
my office window right this very moment. I first noticed him/her on Monday
26 August 1996. Up until now Tawny Frogmouths have been conspicuous by
their absence over the last few months around my immediate work area here
in Engineering.
This is the second consecutive year that this nest has been used by the
same species. It's interesting to note that the chosen tree is a smooth
barked grey gum (eucalyptus species ? - sorry, I'm not too good at tree
identification!) and it's looking very poorly with an acute case of dead
and dying leafs. I mostly see Tawny Frogmouths roosting during the day in
dark rough barked trees (better camouflage!) so to see it sitting all day,
day after day, in a light smooth barked sick tree is to me something of a
curiosity.
Incidentally, many, and I mean many, trees of the same species throughout
the campus are suffering from what I understand to be the combined effects
of unseasonably low rainfall and aggressive leaf-chewing insects. These
trees have displayed the same symptoms at this time of the year for the
last few years but they seem to look worse this year.
Back to the Frogmouths, I've been unable to spot its mate to date but just
after dusk on the Monday he/she called "oom oom oom..." a few times from
the nest and then flew off over the roof of the building, presumably to
meet his/her mate and take a bite to eat.
Cheers,
Peter Mac
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