On 25th November 2002, at 18:22 AEDT, I saw a female Common Koel (Eudynamys
scolopacea) fly across Ned's Beach Road from the vicinity of Blue Lagoon
Lodge's Kentia palm garden area, north across a grass paddock, hotly pursued
by a female magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca). The koel flew at about 5m
above the ground, and passed as close as 6m to me, so that I was able to
readily
distinguish, without the need for binoculars, the red eyes, black crown,
horizontally
barred front, and brown, white-spotted uppers. My wife was with me,
(on one of Ian Hutton's bird tours), but missed seeing it, so I have no
other
witness to corroborate my sighting, but as koels arrive in our Brisbane
garden
during early October each year, and I have handled both juvenile and female
koels,
I am 100% positive in my identification.
Location - Lord Howe Island, 31 31 23S, 159 03 42E (Magellan 315 gps -
WGS84)
Monday 25/11/2002 18:22 AEDT.
I believe this species has not previously been recorded at Lord Howe Island.
During the period 25/11/2002 to 15/12/2002, my wife and I attempted to find
the bird again, but failed to do so. Perhaps it had laid an egg in a host's
nest and then departed the island.
Ken Pettit
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