On Wed, 3 Sep 1997, Michael wrote:
>
> Why are there good and bad cuckoo years when our population of small
> birds (potential nest hosts) does not seem to vary much ? You would
> think one bad year would mean fewer cuckoos next year and a continuing
> decline.
>
> Are the good and bad years localised ? Ie. do the cuckoos do well one
> year in one place and then (like a farmer rotating crops) deliberately
> go elsewhere the next ?
>
In reference to the Cuckoo question of bad years and good years, I would
agree with Mike in that 1994 was a good year for Cuckoos. That spring was
also quite a dry one so perhaps Cuckoos that would normally spend the
spring/summer in more inland areas were forced southwards because of the
dry weather.
In regards the question of Cuckoo's "rotating" areas they spend the
spring/summer in, with my experience I probably could not make this guess.
One area I regularly observe in the Warby range State Park is always a
great spot to see Cuckoos every spring.. I have recorded Black-eared,
Horsfield's and Shining-Bronze and Fantail Cuckoos there. Another spot I
can also regulary see Fantail Cuckoos is in Gresswell Forest in the
Melbourne suburb of Macleod. Many birds can be heard calling there in
spring. It is a small area of only 50 hectares, so perhaps the forest
being isolated in an urban area has a higher density of the birds than in
a continuous forest.
Record's of Cuckoos this spring so far have been only of Horsfield's
Bronze-cuckoo. One in Chiltern Box-Ironbark National Park on the 27/8 and
at two along Hoysted Track in the Warby Ranges on the 28/8. First spring
record of a Rufous Whistler singing was also at the latter.
Michael Ramsey
Bundoora, Vic
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