An interesting few days at Abberton.
Late on Wednesday afternoon, a Peregrine Falcon dropped onto the highest
exposed limb of a dead tree just across the creek, and stayed and stayed
while I went back up to the house and got the 'scope. He stayed even longer
and allowed me great close-up views of him turning his head this way and
that as he surveyed the place. Then, of course, I looked away for just a
second, and he was gone by the time I got my eye back on the 'scope.
Yesterday, a great racket from the birds outside suggested that a raptor was
around, and we got out to the verandah in time to watch an exhilarating
display as two very agitated and noisy Masked Lapwings harried the
Peregrine, which every so often would twist in the air so as to get on the
tail of one of the lapwings which he would then chase fiercely for a moment
or two, before breaking off to cruise around above them as they struggled to
gain height to harry him again. It really did seem for all the world as if
the Peregrine was playing with them, but they weren't really enjoying the
game.
We've had parties of up to ten Glossy Black Cockatoos flying over this week.
They are much less regular here than the Red-tailed Black Cockies, (which
have also been around) and they stand out from them quite distinctly when
they occasionally show up, not least by their call which always announces
them some way ahead of their arrival.
But my highlight this week occurred while we had non-birding friends here
this-afternoon (Friday). We were chatting on the verandah when I glimpsed
something dark drop into the shadows of the narrow muddy margin across the
creek. Of course, I grabbed my binoculars without pausing to apologise, and
focussed on a Black Bittern! Brilliant views of a beautiful bird! Then the
scramble began, as I yelled "Black Bittern" at Eileen, she dived for her
binoculars, I yanked the scope into line between me and the bird, and our
visitors looked on open-mouthed. A typical scene in any birder's household,
but amusing for the uninitiated looker-on.
The bittern flew across to our side of the creek, and a little upstream
before I could get the scope on it, and before Eileen got her glasses on it.
Out of our line of vision from the house!
Frenzied moment over, we struggled to regain our composure, to explain what
a beautiful and dramatic bird the Black Bittern is, to apologise for our
seemingly cursory dismissal of our guests for a minute or so (they had
really completely disappeared from our awareness for the span of the
bittern's appearance), and to continue as polite hosts - all the while
knowing that the Black Bittern was just along the creek, and we had every
chance of getting some good close up views, and maybe even a decent
photograph, if were just to take a short walk up the garden.
But, we somehow suppressed all this in the cause of hospitality. And it
wasn't easy.
We used to get Black Bitterns here quite often before the last big drought
came along, but this was our first sighting at Abberton for three years.
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
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