I am excited that I have definitely got loud channel bills nearby. I finally got to checking the call on this site, but I never see them.
They really make a noise don't they!!
cheers
Birdie
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They certainly do Birdie, I have seen a couple lately but they are not really showing up like they did last year. Don't forget to get involved in the Birds in Back Yards Channel Billed Cuckoo Survey.
See Yez
Trev
Thanks Bushy, I didn't realise there was a survey. I was telling a friend from where I work about them today and he said we have them doing fly overs there as well. He was also telling me that I need to watch the bush up high when they are calling and look for the ravens and maggies that are chasing them, and then look behind to see the mate looking for a nest to drop her eggs in. I hadn't even thought of that!!
Cheers
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Wow, they are really out in full force around here now!!
Every morning early they start and I just can't isolate where in the area they are. On Saturday night we were sitting having dinner outside with friends and at about 10.00p.m. they started a really loud squawking back and forth through the neighbourhood.
The friend who was with us is an experienced birder and I was fascinated to hear that each year , when it's time to return northwards, they go around and pick up the juveniles that have hatched in various nests and they all migrate together.
Cheers
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hi! Birdie, I agree, a really exciting bird to have in your neighbourhood. I hear them around home (Rochedale South in Brissie a bit... one year the Kookaburras raised one.
But it's on our golf course @ Oxley, with all the target species nesting that they are really active. The fly-by's are incredible. They seem to condition the crows or whatever target to chase after them. Sometimes a pair of Channelbills will fly through the target's tree, sometimes only one. They do this to various trees/targets in a big circuit around the golf course and beyond, multiple times in a day. And I guess they keep it up for as long as it takes to drop off an egg some where. May be it's multiple targets, multiple eggs.
Late last summer we had two (or maybe it was three) youngsters hanging around the club house. One was still begging from it's foster parents. They make a sound like nothing else and very loud. A sorta' arggFEEEEDMEEEsquark and the crows (ravens) seemed compelled to meet the demands. Fascinating behaviors to watch.
VJ
Vern
I've heard so much about their incredible flying skills but i just can't catch them. Hear them every morning, but no where in sight.
Thought I had them a few days ago, and wondered why they were so quiet - turned out to be a family of Top knots instead!!
Cheers
birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Boy, this morning they were going off!!! last night i heard them calling and early this morning they were flying throughout the area and making a huge racket. I took off for a walk and saw numerous other birds, but still could only hear the Channel Bills moving around .
Now my neighbours are getting to know that I stalk the place with my camera and they have started asking me which birds they are . it's great to be able to educate them now that I have learnt so much on here. i am finding that people are really quite interested once they know a bit about what is going on.
Cheers
birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
From what i have seen the tend to fly fairly high and when they land it is up high. Keep looking you will find them, great birds.
See Yez
Trev
Now they are going off all through the night and much of the day!! then we have the colony of fruit bats that have moved in and squeak and hiss all night. And before you know it , it's 4 am and the green catbird decides to say hello :'D
There's never a dull moment around here right now, especially now that the rain has come . I wonder if the dry spell sent them down here lately?
Cheers
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
We have three baby channel bill cuckoos that have been squawking their heads off for the past week or so; the poor pied currawong pair that is trying to cope with feeding them is a sight to behold. The CBC's peck, bite and push the PC's and never stop their noise. I have a video that if I knew how to upload would attach - if anyone knows how to or is interested in it please let me know.
Would love to see that video suetoso. You can add a link on here to a host site like flickr. Have you used them before?
http://www.flickr.com/
Then when you post the link on here you have to use square brackets and enclose the word link at the begining then post the URL with no spaces and then close it with Sq Brkts again but put a forward slash before the word link.
If you have any trouble you can check with the link try checking http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/forum/syntax.cfm page on this site.
Look forward to seeing it
Cheers
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Thanks Birdie - I cant use that site from work but found a site I can and you should be able to see it here:
http://vimeo.com/8680465
let me know if you have any problems.
... Oh dear one problem foster child is a worry, but three is clearly catastropic. Thanks Sue for posting this. It is fabuluous stuff. I doubt that many of us have seen the like before.
VJ
My pleasure - we spent some time trying to figure out firstly what the noise was coming from and then how on earth the chicks could be pied currawongs as they were so much bigger than the adults feeding them. They are now in a tree right outside our back deck (we are in Bilgola NSW) and they are non-stop almost from dawn to dusk. Add that to the standard kookaburra dawn chorus and its birdsong of a lovely and not so lovely variety right now.
TTFN
sue
Great video Sue. I especially liked the part wher they turned around in unison and started calling as the 'parent' bird approached with food.
Congratulations.
Good stuff Sue. thanks so much for posting it. I have never seen them close up and I have heard stories of the poor parents running themselves ragged.... but 3 of them - wow. I wonder what happens when one chick gets dominant and wants all the food
Cheers
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland