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Stork flying in , sleepless nights ahead . Latest chicks centre .
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It had to happen . The Curlew parents
were showing signs of going broody once more , the third time this
year . Walking about together,
they made ominous clucky noises , danced , picked up and tossed
pieces of bark and
leaves. The female
often stretched out flat on the ground when approached
. But more ominous was the fact that the
two chicks , now hungry teenagers, were repeatedly pecked and told to go away as mater and pater want to
be alone .
Then an
egg was
spotted not far from the
previous nesting site ; now there are two, both large . Recently
, an interloper , thought to be Chicky
from the previous clutch , caused a
stir when
she arrived on the back verandah , seeking a
4.30pm feed. The family, including
the chicks, drove her away,down the side of the house . Later on, when I was on
the front verandah , a Curlew , thought to be
Chicky, approached me and started
to talk . “
Are you Chicky-Wicky? ” I asked , several times , in a squeaky voice ( what will the neighbours think
?). Interpreting Curlewese ,
the reply confirmed that it was indeed prodigal Chicky , who had
vanished and presumably
joined the
wild bush birds .
There are sad reports that many Curlew chicks
did not survive , killed by Barking Owls
, snakes , cats .
FLIGHTY FOOTNOTE
: Miss Wong , the Torres Strait Pigeon saved by the Queen of the Jungle
, has been taken to Mission Beach to eventually be released into the wild with her own kind , perhaps heading further north with flocks to
Papua New Guinea or Darwin . I helped dismantle Miss Wong's cage and in the process Larry the Lorikeet's cage, with him sitting on top , had to be lifted ,causing him to protest and mutter,"Bugger !" He also will soon be heading for Mission Beach with his collection of teddy bears but cannot fly because of his Cyclone Larry injuries .
BREAKING NEWS : As this was being posted in the wee small hours the Curlews outside the den sounded upset , switched on the outside light ...and was surprised to see at least eight of the birds, including one with a busted wing, in the backyard. Some flew away , shrieking; the injured one ran down the side of the house . All is now quiet so will slip back to bed .
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Miss Wong, packed and ready to go .
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BREAKING NEWS : As this was being posted in the wee small hours the Curlews outside the den sounded upset , switched on the outside light ...and was surprised to see at least eight of the birds, including one with a busted wing, in the backyard. Some flew away , shrieking; the injured one ran down the side of the house . All is now quiet so will slip back to bed .
