g'Day all
On Monday 9th, and Tuesday 10th March while visiting Pat's brother at
Taggerty, Victoria I could hear the call of what was almost certainly a
fruit-pigeon emanating from deep within the neighbouring rainforest
property known as "The Poplars" (approx. 2 ha of dense manicured
temperate rainforest) located on the west side of the Maroondah Highway
approx. 0.4 km south of the Eildon/Alexandra road junction.
The voice of this bird was a repeated soft monotonous "Coo Coo"
repeated at approx. 15 second intervals, in sessions lasting from two or
three minutes separated by a minute or two of silence. The call tones
were somewhat reminiscent of Rose-crowned Fruit-Pigeon, a species that
I am familiar with from previous experiences of living in the Kimberley
but the repeated pattern was not the same. However the call appears to
match published descriptions of the Purple-crowned Fruit-Pigeon, a
species I am not so familiar with.
First heard at about 4,00 pm on Monday evening, the bird called
continually from the forest canopy for more than two hours and again the
next morning for about an hour from about 8.00 am. Frustratingly the
bird would not reveal itself and I was unable to locate it after several
times walking the eastern and northern boundary of the private
property. As nobody appeared to be home and I was unable to obtain
permission to enter the property, in spite of my best efforts from the
boundary, eventually we had to leave.
However if anyone is travelling past Taggerty it could be worth a look
as there is probably a fair chance the bird will remain in the area
until the weather breaks. On the east side of the highway adjacent to a
running creek opposite to the "The Poplars" there is a picnic reserve
and the distinctive call was easily heard while sitting at that picnic
table.
At present within the unburnt areas of riverine forest habitat around
Taggerty, bird abundance and diversity appears greater than usual
including numbers of Satin Bowerbirds and also Lewin's Honeyeaters
amongst many probable refugees from the nearby burnt out Black and Blue
Range forests
Regards
Ian and Pat May
currently at Price SA
Mob: 0428337956
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