We've had nine cuckoo spp in the garden so far this December. A Brush Cuckoo
which has been calling for days finally showed itself on Wednesday, much
easier to 'scope than the Oriental Cuckoo that turned up on Monday.
The Oriental has been flitting silently round the garden every day since,
and is still here on Saturday afternoon. But it's a difficult bird to
approach (for a photo), never spending long on one perch before dropping
from it and gliding through an arc up to another. Last time we had them
here, they were similarly faithful. Having located what they found to be a
good feeding-ground, they stayed in the garden for several weeks.
A striking Spotted Harrier here this-morning (Saturday) was every bit as
brilliantly coloured as the more gaudy illustrations that you sometimes see
of them. Rich chestnut face and underparts and bright yellow legs
contrasting with resplendent ink-blacked tipped grey upperwings held in a
rigidly fixed V as the bird cruised elegantly by, looking left and right.
What a stunning raptor!
Bill Jolly
"Abberton",
Lockyer Valley, Queensland.
Visit our website at http://www.abberton.org <http://www.abberton.org/>
Email: <>
Ph: (+61) 7 4697 6111 Fax: (+61) 7 4697 6056
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