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I realise that there was a thread recently
regarding the number of cuckoo species seen in a day. Yesterday I had my
normal walk in the park behind us in Brisbane and saw
Channel-billed Cuckoos and Koels (including
a juvenile being fed still by a pair of magpie Larks). Also heard a Coucal
calling nearby. After breakfast we were out and about with Rita and John
Squire (ex Cassowary House) and headed initially to Bribie Island to see the
Laughing Gull which was happily roosting in Buckley's Hole on the high
tide. It was to the left of the birdhide. No cuckoos here.
>From there a visit to Jill Denning's Kakadu Beach but nothing out of the
ordinary despite there being a few hundred waders present, mostly B-t Godwits
and Great Knots. Only terns were a few Gull-billed and Caspian and a
single Little. From there we dropped into the Mallard Estate at North
Lakes south of Caboolture where we saw Baillon's Crake. Next stop was Apex
Park at Dayboro where Trevor Ford and English guests were just about to leave
(he does leave Scoopy's on occasions). Feeding on caterpillars devouring
the foliage of a White Cedar were a plethora of cuckoos.
Fan-tailed, Brush, Shining Bronze and Oriental (dark phase). We
ate our Dayboro pies and headed to Samsonvale cemetery. Trevor et al were
there mulling over a somewhat scruffy looking juvenile cuckoo sitting
nearby. After consulting various field guides we decided it could only be
a Pallid which it duly confirmed by calling. After
Mr Ford left in his Ford Laser? we looked around briefly but no Painted Snipe
visible and looked in the flowering trees where some possible Black Honeyeaters
were seen last weekend. None - but a few Scarlets. Then just up a
mown grass firebreak we saw a bird flying around and after scoping it up
confirmed a Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo.
So eight cuckoo species for the day!! ( and a
couple of Coucals heard calling). In all we saw 93 species for the
day.
Cheers
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