Great photos thank you Mike. Gorgeous bird.
According to the field guides i have this is the first record since
1958. Is this correct or has there been any others before this one at
Whim Creek?
Any ideas about how it came over?
Cheers
Dave
On 04/06/2007, at 6:01 PM, Mike Carter wrote:
Although ostensibly one of the more cryptic, this must be one of
the easiest birds I've ever twitched! Lack of suitable habitat
nearby means that it is confined to a small area of watered lawn
and garden beds at the Whim Creek Hotel now mainly used as a mining
camp! Mind you when Frank O'Connor, Richard Baxter & I arrived at
13.35 on Friday (I left home at 03.45) Morgan O'Connell, the
whistle blower, told us he hadn't seen it all day but that the
cleaner had at 06.00. Nevertheless, it took Greg Harewood (like
Morgan, an Environmental Management Consultant) less than 5 minutes
to find it hiding at the base of one of the small garden shrubs
which he knew it favoured. It then ran under a donga and stayed
partially hidden under one hut or another for the next two hours.
At around 16.00 it started to venture forth several times only to
retreat again. By 16.30, as the sun sank lower and its competitors,
3 Magpielarks moved off, it became very bold and almost indifferent
to people moving around or showing interest in it. It still
preferred shade to sunlight while it foraged around the lawn and
garden. The cleaner says it has been there three weeks.
No one has yet raised any objection to birders entering the camp
area but it is important to remain quiet and not knock on huts to
avoid disturbing sleeping shift workers.
No cats have been seen there but a possible Northern Quoll could be
threat.
I've sent two pictures to Tom Tarrant to put on ABID. A stunning bird!
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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