Early this mornin'
'bout the break of day
I heard a pallid cuckoo, the first I've heard/seen around my place in about 15 or more years. (For new members, my place is on the south east slopes of the Mt Lofy Ranges in SA). Being 2 days from spring I guess it was confirming its alternative name "harbinger of spring".
Once upon a time we were visited in spring by both pallid & fan-tailed cuckoos. It's exciting to have one of the dynamic duo back.
Thanks Woko, for sharing the return of your visitor. Why do you think it has returned? Could the habitat where you are be changing for the better? fingers crossed
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
Love your question, qyn55. It got me thinking & reading a bit. I read that the pallid cuckoo prefers open country which our place was when we arrived. After 6 or 7 years of revegetation the pallid cuckoo & the fantailed cuckoo both stopped coming. (The same applied to grassland birds like Richard's pipit & brown songlark which we rarely see now.)
I didn't hear the pallid cuckoo again this morning so it may have moved on. At this stage my best guess is that it was on its way to more favourable habitat.
Overall the habitat here is changing for the better in that it's more like it was before it was cleared for grazing. But tell that to the pallid cuckoo, Richard's pipit & brown songlark!
Woko, thanks for your answer. As we know, since settlement there is more open land and less remnant (or revegetated) bushland and no doubt what you have done is added to latter. But more important you have added to the corridor that birds need to move from one environment to another. The fact that the pallid cuckoo or other birds still use it (even of only passing through) is testament to that and adds weight to the need to continue to do so.
Thanks for what you do and have done.
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
This is the perfect time to ask question, that has been on my mind for some time now, and having just read, the DSE is going to conduct HUGE burns right behind us,has turned into a nightmare. How much damage is that going to do to the birds and the wildlife behind my fence? Since I found out about it, I have been planting more and more to establish some undergrowth for the many small birds that live here. I don't want to start a dicussion about fires, we have been "very" close to two. We lived in Cockatoo Ash Wednesday,and the last fires came "very" close. (there is no way of predicting what burns down or not.Houses that have no vegetation around, burn down, and houses in thick vegetation next to them don't) I just would like to know,what the research into the effect on our birds says? We have some very rare birds in the Bunyip State Park.Behind us There is a Barking Owl.
Interested in your views.M-L
M-L
That is an interesting topic Marie-Louise. I think you should start another thread for this topic so that it does not get missed in this thread. I have some definite views on this topic.
Alison
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"the earth is not only for humans, but for all animals and living things."
I'd certainly be interested in a thread on the effect of bushfires on birds.
Meanwhile, I heard the pallid cuckoo, or at least a pallid cuckoo, again on my mid morning walk today. It called twice from the neighbouring farmer's open paddock but I wasn't able to see it. Too well camouflaged among the many large, grey rocks there. (Nothing to do with my eyesight.)
Your comment about the corridor effect is very pertinent, qyn55. There are many properties near us where owners are revegetating. It'll be interesting to see the long term effects of this as our property borders the drier mallee country & the wetter Mt Lofty Ranges. The border between the 2 runs right through channel 7 on our TV set. I'm anticipating seeing more mallee birds in future such as the yellow-plumed honeyeater & spiny-cheeked honeyeater. Maybe even a red-backed kingfisher. Whoooopeee!
I have put up the same question about the effect of burns ,conducted by agencies like DSE and others,have on our native wildlife and BIRDS, under General. Go there to voice your views. M-L
M-L