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Hello Kookaburra watchers,
On Mon Jun 05 2000 - 19:53:21 EST, Scott O'Keeffe posed the
following question:
For Brisbane birdwatchers, especially, or anyone else.
Am I the
only one to have noticed a paucity of Kookaburras in the last 6 months? My usual
birding spots have in the past always produced the goods. But, lately, none at
all, and in places where they always seemed to be present in the past. Any
thoughts? Peter Woodall?
Puzzled.
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Laughing Kookaburras (I presume that's what we are talking about?) are
not very common in my area (Woody Point, SEQld) these days.
I generally only hear them and usually that is before dawn.
However, a glance at my weekly records for the past 6 years shows that
for the first 22 weeks of each of those years Laughing Kookaburras (no
quantities) were recorded as follows:
1995 - 20 weeks
1996 - 16 weeks
1997 - 18 weeks
1998 - 15 weeks
1999 - 16 weeks
2000 - 17 weeks
In each of those weeks Laughing Kookaburra was recorded at least on one
day. It is unlikely that in any of those weeks Laughing Kookaburra was recorded
on each day of the week.
Also, given that I am not always awake at the normal '
Kookaburra-calling-time', I may have missed them now and then.
From that I would conclude that, in my area, there has been no obvious
change in occurrence of Laughing Kookaburras.
I must say, though, that the last record is from the week commencing
14/5/2000.
Perhaps the reduction is some areas is due to the appalling practice of
planting those hideous palm trees that everyone seems to be so keen on these
days.
The view from my backyard is gradually being blocked off as more and more
of these monstrosities mature around me!!
When was the last time you saw a Laughing Kookaburra perched in a palm tree
(of any species)?
Cheers,
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