RETURN OF THE UNWANTED PRODIGAL AND A FOUNDLING

Taken  well over a month ago ,this photograph  of  the resident Curlew family includes the stretched out , ungainly  chick  which  was  growing  rapidly as  if  on steroids . It was  getting close  to a size where it could fend  for itself and not  fall victim  to  a  marauding  Barking Owl  at  night. At times it was seen stretch its long wings as  if  about to fly in the near future. While  absent  from the island  for  about  a week , the  chick was   found  to  be alive and  much bigger  on  our return .

Then it disappeared . A  week  went by  during which it was felt another  chick,  the sixth ,   had come to  a  sticky end . However, early  this morning,  there was a welcome  surprise- three Curlews , one of  them  apparently  the  missing  chick  .  Instead   of  being  welcomed home by  its parents  , it  was given  a good pecking , which  adults   do  when  they  want  to be  alone  to  produce  more eggs.

 

 The  unwanted  chick came to  the  backdoor seeking a  feed , which it got, along  with  another peck from  a  parent . This  is supposedly  the  end  of   the mating   season  and other  Curlews  in the area  are  acting "strangely"...shrieking ,  hissing , wailing  at  night , driving interlopers  out of   their  territory .

 

Last night  there  was an SOS  from the Queen of the Jungle asking for antiseptic to treat a Torres Strait  Pigeon , about five days old, with a  gash  in  its  head . It had apparently fallen or been blown out of its flimsy nest and  parents had been seen trying to pick it up .  If it recovers , it may join Larry the  Lorikeet and his favourite teddy bear  on  a  romantic  yacht  trip  to Mission Beach , a popular  fly  inn  for  Torresians ...Unfortunately, the  bird  did  not  survive.