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| March 2007: The forest around Cassowary House seems to have recovered really well from the cyclones of last year and is full of fruiting trees at present. Double-eyed Fig Parrots are making good use of this bounty and we have never had them so common. The fig and waterberry trees around the house resound to their high pitched metallic calls. Flocks of Figbirds and Metallic Starlings are also regular partakers of the current feast.
The young Cassowaries have now lost their stripes and are brown all over. They still come in daily with their father. Some building work on the main house has afforded them hours of interest and the whole family likes to sit and watch the work in progress. They really are very curious birds. The Victoria’s Riflebirds are just beginning to come out of their moult. For the last few months they have been looking very scruffy and scrofulous after a very busy breeding season. The Brush-Turkeys are also out of breeding dress. No more long yellow wattles and less aggressive behaviour. We have been pleased to see the immaculate baby turkeys scratching around in the forest but so far none have had the audacity to brave their elders in the tree by the verandah.
A bird that has not lost its bright breeding colours is the Yellow-bellied Sunbird. These are still breeding and will keep their beautiful feathers all through the year.
A new coloniser which is becoming increasingly common in the local area is the Bar-shouldered Dove. A lover of more open habitat it has taken advantage of last years tree loss and is now regularly seen on the property whereas it was unknown a couple of years ago. On a sad note unfortunately after years of faithful service our extremely tame Red-necked Crake (the Cheesebird) has disappeared and we fear him dead, probably of simple old age. We left him with a brood of babies when we went to Europe over Christmas and the New Year but on our return he failed to come and greet us. The young birds are here and we regularly both see and hear them, but sadly not the parent.
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