Sunday, August 16, 2015

ALAS , POOR CHICKY WHICKY



Clever Wild Card in Original (Australian ) Species Limited series which emits cry of the Curlew when opened ; see recent post on Vandhana  book  which told how author Inga Clendinnen had missed  the   Curlews  on  Magnetic Island . 

Various explanations have been given for why  Curlews wail at  night. One says  it  is for Aboriginal  children  lost  in  the  bush  and   another  that  it  is  a sign  of  death. 

After  a commotion in which  Curlews  were  heard  crying  out  in numbers ,  the second of  our latest batch of chicks was  found  dead on the back verandah, looking as if something had grabbed it ...a cat or a dog?... it  was  not  clear .

The mother shrieked and ran  at me  with wings extended  when  I stooped to examine the poor bird , named Chicky Whicky. Soon the  male bird  joined her , then  ran off . Watched  through the backdoor and a bedroom window, the mother was seen squat down  nearby  with  feathers  fluffed out  ,wings  slightly extended as if wanting the  chick to  get up and  run to  safety under  her .

For a long time she emitted the soft ,soothing clucking sound given when walking  about  with a chick in tow .  Late in the evening , the  male  was  seen  to  run up to  the chick, its mother nowhere to be seen , and drop what  appeared  to  be a morsel  of  food .

Early in the morning , it was  discovered that the dead  bird had obviously been   dragged off   the  verandah  by  the  parents  up  towards  the back of the property where they spent  most of  the secure  daylight hours.

The parents , squatting close together nearby, did not move when the chick was removed  for burial. However,  the male rose   and inspected the position where the  chick   had   been.  
 
Mourning  Curlew  parents  after  death  of   second  chick .