Monday, November 16, 2009

One in eye for Shrike-Thrush and me


Little Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha) on ground at Broadwater Forest Park, west of Ingham, today appears to be winking. Not so. After berating the bird for constantly closing eye as it did a spot of sheltered sunning I realised mistake: injury or ailment had led to permanent closure. Routine hazard for birds that spend much of their day poking heads into forest tangles, I suppose.


Sharp-eyed pair of Plumed Whistling-Ducks (Dendrocygna eytoni) turn away from the Tyto lookout over the weekend. The large flocks have gone (probably up to the tableland) but a few birds are still hanging about with the more numerous Wandering Whistlers.


Also sticking around in limited numbers are Sharp-tailed Sandpipers (Calidris acuminata). This pair caught in middle of minor spat at a small wetlands just east of Ingham.

Finally, bad news at the Great Bowerbird bower. Flattened and pillaged. Possibly the work of another bird. More likely the doing of a Naked Ape. Restores my lack of faith in human nature!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Tony
    Keep your lack of faith in human nature - you will never be disappointed!
    Interesting that the Shrike Thrush is managing to survive with one eye.
    Cheers
    Denis

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  2. Shame about the bower. Wouldn't that be expected for a young inexperienced bird to have it's bower flattened by another bowerbird? (That's was not intended to sound like a leading question - I'm just curious as I am not familiar with Bowerbirds.)

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  3. Too true, Denis.

    You are right, Alan. Mature birds will wreck immature efforts. But in this case the demolition was damningly thorough.

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  4. Grr! People can be awful. What's the point of doing that?

    ReplyDelete

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