That's the good news. The bad news is that I didn't get to see it!
Geoff Anderssen, who looks after creek management for the Lockyer Catchment
Centre, discovered the bird, 195 for the garden list.
He had parked his car and was walking towards our back verandahs, via a
pergola that opens onto a patch of grass surrounded by shrubs, which in turn
back onto a building we call the gallery that is on about one metre stumps.
There is a lot of litter among the shrubs, and a dark and dampish habitat
under the gallery, full of invertebrate wildlife I'm sure.
Geoff flushed the pitta, which he then watched scurrying for cover beneath
the shrubs surrounding the gallery. We've seen land snails around the
gallery - I guess I'm going to have to go under there to see if I can see
evidence of a pitta picnic area.
To my disappointment, I didn't see the bird that day, or the next, or since.
I believe Noisy Pittas undertake some altitudinal migration, so this was
probably just a 'rest and refresh' stopover for a bird on its way from the
upland west to the lowland winter riches of Brisbane and the Lockyer Valley.
If it enjoyed it here, I might get to see it on the return journey in the
spring!
With Spectacled Monarch, Rufous Fantail and Regent Bowerbird already on the
house list, I guess it's not so surprising that a pitta might drop in, but
it still feels like a coming of age for our revegetation!
Bill Jolly
"Abberton",
Lockyer Valley, Queensland.
Visit our website at http://www.abberton.org
Email:
Ph: (+61) 7 4697 6111 Fax: (+61) 7 4697 6056
I wish to add a species to the Abberton list for the month of April. I have
The distinctive irridescent blue colouring on the
rump is probably the most significant diagnostic. The broad deep wings, the
olive to green mantle, back and primaries and the size are all consistent
with the bird I saw. I will take any criticism for a misidentification but
I think credit
belongs to you for providing suitable habitat (albeit transient) for such a
remarkable bird.
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