birding-aus

Missing bower

To: "Simon Starr" <>
Subject: Missing bower
From: Allan Richardson <>
Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2012 22:39:09 +1100
Hi Simon,

I've had Satin Bowerbirds maintaining bowers in my yard for the last 10 years 
or so.

The current male seems set on the current location but early on there was a bit 
shuffling going on. A bird would appear to be settled on a site and then, just 
as you describe, everything would disappear. A quick search of the yard would 
find he'd shifted to another location.

The birds have used 4 locations in the yard, (two were practise bowers built by 
immature birds), but there were two locations the dominant male preferred and 
alternated between on what seemed like a seasonal basis. I got the feeling that 
the bird changed due to changing vegetation cover (deciduous plants) on a 
seasonal basis, although I can't verify that.

The site alternation was relatively predictable, but it hasn't happened for a 
few years now.

I'd suggest looking around the general area to see what you can dig up, or 
alternatively, if you have a bit of time, sit at the location you've mentioned, 
and it's likely you'll hear activity at the new site (if it exists) to lead you 
to it.

Kind Regards,

Allan Richardson
Morisset NSW
 
On 04/12/2012, at 10:16 PM, Simon Starr wrote:

> Hi there,
> 
> 
> 
> I wonder if anyone can shed light on what I observed the other day.
> 
> 
> 
> I have been visiting a Satin Bowerbird's bower in the Otways of southern
> Victoria for some years now. I was there in August, and the scene was as
> normal.  A well maintained avenue, plenty of blue items, mostly of the man
> made plastic type, and Bowerbird activity around, "green" birds flying to
> and fro, and a male bird never far away.
> 
> 
> 
> I visited again last month, and was surprised to see nothing there.  The
> site was empty. There was no evidence of any avenue whatsoever. All
> decorations removed, except for one shabby bit of blue tape half buried.
> The only evidence that anything had been there before was a layer of small
> bits of broken sticks/twigs on the ground, all very short.
> 
> 
> 
> Would a rival male so completely remove all evidence to this extent ??
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> 
> 
> Simon Starr,
> 
> 
> 
> Victoria.  
> 
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