Saturday 17 August 2013

Third week of August - Cuckoo o'clock

Like clockwork, the cuckoos call.

Each year from mid-August, one can often hear the repeated rising whistles of the Shining Bronze-cuckoo. Today I heard two, one near the Herdsman Lake Wildlife Centre, and another near the Settler's cottage on the western banks.

Last summer, I came across a juvenile cuckoo with a flock of Willie Wagtails and Yellow-rumped Thornbills, although I couldn't tell which of the two had been forced into fostering this young noisy bird. I hope to solve that mystery this spring, and with adult birds present now, it surely won't be long until they've found a host nest to lay their egg, before departing to enjoy a restful Aussie summer down south.

No comments:

Post a Comment