Our male Southern Cassowary finally reappeared in mid October with 3 chicks in
tow, though the nest with 10 eggs came to nothing and pigs destroyed them
eventually. A big relief as he was gone for so long.
Oct 25 Satin Flycatcher 1 f Mackenzie's Pocket Black Mountain Road, Kuranda, a
migrant going through in the usual time frame here.
I reported a Black-winged Monarch a couple of weeks back from the same area.
Today I was able to call in a similar bird and I can only report that it shows
some features consistent with the canescens form of what is supposed to be
Black-winged Monarch- very pale grey head and mantle, blackish wings, and a
blackish spot on the bend of the wing. However today's bird was calling like
Black-faced Monarch, but showed some interest in tapes of calls off canescens
from Iron Range, which to my ears also sounds pretty much like Black-faced
Monarch anyway. This is of interest as the PNG Black-winged Monarchs sound
quite different, have a very different head pattern, and inhabit hill forest
largely above 500m, all of which makes me wonder if these Australian birds are
maybe better placed with Black-faced Monarch, which they so much resemble in
face pattern and vocalizations...... I guess genetic work is required to see
what these things really are, and how and if the two taxa intergrade
, as would now appear to be the case.
Also of note today was an imm. plumage Eastern Yellow Wagtail on the mud at the
northern end of the Esplanade, feeding adjacent to Bar-tailed Godwits! It was a
very brown and white bird, which i heard call as I arrived and was then amazed
to locate out on the mudflats.
Phil Gregory
Website 2: Http://www.cassowary-house.com.au
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