BOKI Winter news If we believethe birds, then the Winter news is; it’s Spring! The Fan-tailed Cuckoo’s trill is already all around us, Skylark serenade the cattle with heightened vigor, the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo have paired off into the undergrowth, the Swamp Harrier’s all too familiar lazy circles are being drawn high above the paddocks whilst below, the male, Ring-necked Pheasant already sport next season’s vibrant, oriental gowns and the male, Indian Peafowl’s (Peacock) train, freshly charged with iridescence, heralds the extraordinarily early return of mating-season in the avian world of King Island. Of course, ask a hard-working, KI farmer and you may get a different answer. So, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s re-cap over some of King Island’s recent, more familiar winter gems. Double - banded Plovers have been the regular winter visitors to King Island this year, as they were to Tasmania and Southern Australia. These tiny waders migrate from New Zealand to spend their non-breeding season here and will be returning towards the end of August. They frequent various places around the island, (understandably) preferring our pristine, sandy beaches. Over 400 Double-banded Plover were recently counted at Yellow Rock River mouth. Hardy, juvenile Ruddy Turnstone have also graced our shores again this winter, with other King Island tagged birds being sighted in Taiwan though April / May on their northward migration to Arctic Siberia where they breed. The oldest migrating bird to have been recorded this year was flagged at Whistler Point in 2008. And of course it’s hard to miss King Island’s very own winter, production of ‘The beauties and the beasts’; the elegant, Cattle Egret can still be seen, especially in the north of the island, feeding amongst their cumbersome counterparts, patiently waiting for hooves to uncover worms and insects. Some will be seen feeding on parasites directly off the backs of cattle! Whether the weather belongs to Winter or Spring, it is a pleasure to hear the Black Currawong’s cry amidst the Magpie’s dawn chorus and to see the Grey Cuckoo-shrike admiring his reflection in the living room windows once again. For argument’s sake, let’s settle somewhere in the middle and declare this season ‘Wing’! BOKI Bird Facts; 1.) The Chicken is the most common species of bird in the world. 2.) Superb fairy-wrens sing tunes to their eggs. Embryonic chicks are able to learn these unique notes and incorporate them into their begging calls after hatching. 3.) King Island is a stronghold for Oyster Catchers. Although some pairs are over 30 years old, sadly many have not bred due to various disturbances, hence we could be facing a possible ’wipe out’ when this generation go. TW [All photos (Cattle Egret, Male Peafowl, Male Ringneck Pheasant) courtesy of Margaret Bennett.]
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 11:34:39 +0000
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