Hi Ausers,
Today while going about my work as a humble
elevator technician in Adelaide I walked out the back door of the second tallest
building right in the middle of the CBD, Telstra House. While all the office
gaspers were milling about smoking their fags I noticed a male Magpielark going
of his trolley in a small deciduous tree near the back door. Normally this
wouldn't have attracted my attention, as the resident pair that share their
inner city space with the lunchtime office crowds are rather eccentric. There
was something about his repeated cries however that pricked my birding
senses! Upon investigating the focus of his attentions I noticed an adult
Boobook Owl sitting on a branch not six feet above the ground completely
oblivious to the milling crowds and the aforementioned schitsophrenic
Magpielark.
Boobooks are obviously more common than people
would suspect, even within inner city CBD's About two weeks ago I found
another Boobook Owl under similar circumstances. Only this time it was in a
Plane Tree wedged between the Adelaide Railway Station and our very own Festival
Theatre. It too was given away by the unwanted attentions of a pair of
Magpielarks. If these two can eke out a living amidst the hustle and bustle of
the high-rises it makes me wonder just how many Boobooks live in the belt of
Parklands that surrounds the city? Needless to say I was still impressed with
seeing this one, that brightened up what would have otherwise been a very
ordinary day.
Happy Easter
David Harper
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