This afternoon (1st September 2007), I enjoyed a fantastic afternoon bush
walking/birding around Chatswood (within 10km of the Sydney CBD). On my
arrival at Blue Gum Reserve, I heard a Barking Owl call from near the Scout
Hall and followed the source of the call towards and along the creek. As I
was on the creek, I initially thought it would be quite high up in a tree
but as I climbed on the other side of the creek, I then realised the call
was quite low down and there I saw the Owl perched only 5 metres above the
creek and I was at eye level of it only within 4 metres of the bird in full
view. This is the closest I've been to a Barking Owl in the wild and with my
trusty camera I took some fantastic shots of the bird at a number of angles.
It even called while I was taking photographs of it and it had its eye on a
Brown Thornbill moving centimetres in front of its face. I also watched it
preen, yawn, ruffle its feathers etc. As I was taking shots I said cheese
and it replied "woof..woof". It got well accustomed to me and I left it in
peace to doze off once again. As I was watching the owl, behind me two Brush
Turkeys were chasing each other with one jumping high up into a nearby tree.
I later saw their active mound just above a side creek from where the
Barking Owl was roosting. Also while observing the Barking Owl, I heard a
Lewin's Rail call with its "ti..ti..ti..ti.." calls and it sounded like it
was calling up on the ridge.
I later carried a few hundred metres from the roosting Barking Owl down Blue
Gum Creek towards the Lane Cove River, looking for the resident Powerful
Owls seen their recently but to no luck at this instance. I had another
check of the Barking Owl on my way back and saw under neath it amongst the
white wash a single pellet with small bones intact.
I later drove on the other side of Chatswood to Ferndale Park (only a
kilometre or so from Blue Gum Reserve), looking for the Powerful Owls there
(probably the same pair that visit Blue Gum Reserve as it not too far away.
After a short look along the creek there, I almost gave up on the Owls when
as I walked back up the side track to Harnett Place (where I originally came
from), I then saw 2 Powerful Owls perched not too far from the houses closer
to the ridge. I then took some photos of these 2 birds before I left for
home.
A good few hours birding (with 2 species of Owls) and only within 10km of
our big city! Amazing!
Edwin Vella
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
=============================
|
