The egg experiment was conducted on 28 March. A total of nine eggs were
thrown, and five bounced and landed intact. One was successfully videoed on
landing (the chief researcher's aim was far from good). This showed the egg
oscillating about its short axis by about 30 degrees either side of the
centre line - blunt end down. This would make sense in view of centre of
gravity considerations. The egg struck the grassy surface near the apex of
the blunt end - a little off-centre - and bounced to a height of around
800mm; giving one small extra bounce before coming to rest. I might try
again when I have more ammunition and the experiment can be better
controlled. I am extremely impressed by the shock-absorbing properties of
chicken eggs.
I visited Barren Grounds Nature Reserve yesterday (20km inland from Kiama,
NSW, and 2 hours from Sydney) and the birding was great. 38 Yellow-tailed
Black-Cockatoos feeding in Hakea teretifolia, several confiding Beautiful
Firetails and Eastern Bristlebirds on the fire trails between the Lodge and
the Stone Bridge, and large numbers of honeyeaters feeding in the flowering
Banksia ericifolia - Eastern Spinebill, New Holland Honeyeater, Yellow-faced
Honeyeater, Crescent Honeyeater and Red Wattlebird. The banksia is having a
bumper flowering year. Also a White-headed Pigeon outside the warden's house
- as well as the usual Pilotbirds in the same area. I can heartily recommend
a visit to the reserve (and the Birds Australia observatory as well) at the
moment.
Richard
Richard Jordan
PO Box 4
Jamberoo, NSW 2533, Australia
phone +61 2 42 360542
fax +61 2 42 360176
Email
'Web' http://www.ozemail.com.au/~emutours/
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