Wednesday, July 30, 2014

DIARY OF A CURLEW CARER # 1 Enter the Killer Kookaburra

 
The arrival or  two more  cute  baby Curlews  is  a  wonderful  event . But  protecting them from predators brings back bad memories .The very first Curlew protected to a stage in  growth when it  was  felt to be  “safe” disappeared  overnight .

 A cat, a  dog , a snake ?  Then  along  came  Chicky, mentioned  several times in this blog , who survived  the  marauding  Barking  Owls  and  other  predators .  When  Chicky’s  parents became  broody again , they drove  their  offspring , upon  which   they  had  lavished  care   and   protection ,  away  from  the  backyard  so  that  they  could  canoodle .  Chicky  joined  the  large  number of  Curlews who  congregate out the front .

Each  time booted-out Chicky  dares  to venture into the backyard seeking  to  be  fed by  my wife, its father homes in like an Exocet missile, wings  outspread , screeching ,  and  drives its sibling off  the  range . Poor Chicky  has  bravely snuck  into the  kitchen  on  two  occasions ,  seeking  sympathy  and  tucker .

Banished to  the front, Chicky has teamed up  with  Yellow Baby,  hand raised  since a baby orphan , its name due to  the  fact that  it  has  a  yellow  band  on  a  leg. When my wife   goes out the  front of  the house and calls Chicky  up run  Chicky, Yellow Baby... and an increasing   number  of  buddies  trying to  pass themselves off  as  Chicky  for a  quick  feed.

 When  my  wife was  feeding  the  father in the backyard one  afternoon, a Blue-winged  Kookaburra swooped down   and started to  gobble down  the  food.  Knowing  that  Kookaburras  kill  baby  birds, including Curlews,I dashed out  waving a  broom to  drive  it  away. The  Kookaburra  seemed  to  think  it  was a game and  flapped about  the  yard , me  running   hither  and  thither,  like  the Fuller Brush Man .  From  the  fence , the Kookaburra   looked at  the  Curlew mother with  the chicks  and  she  responded  with  a  hiss.