Currawongs Quest for Food

[Overlandman]

From ABC

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-11/c ... ection=tas

It is not quite a scene from a Hitchcock thriller, but Tasmania's mid-winter blast has led to larger than usual numbers of currawongs foraging at picnic grounds and outdoor cafes.

There have been reports of the birds "lining up" around tourists at Mount Field in the quest for food after recent heavy snowfalls.

Big numbers have also been reported in suburban West Hobart.

Rachel Power who runs the Mount Field National Park cafe said about 30 birds targeted tourists on Monday.

"I was watching some people in the hut just outside the cafe here and I could see probably 30 currawongs just slowly coming in closer," she told 936 ABC Hobart.

"Generally there are two or three around, but we are seeing them in big, big groups ... and generally it is the scones that we lose."

Convenor of Birds Tasmania Eric Woehler said it was not surprising.

"We've seen remarkable snowfalls, I mean we had snow down to sea level so essentially we are seeing once in a one or two decade snowfall," he said.

"Obviously at higher altitudes like Mount Field it is going to have a deeper cover, it will make it hard for any bird, or even the mammals, up in the mountains finding food.

"So if there is an easy way to grab an easy meal from a couple of the tourists brave enough to sit outside in the snow ... the birds are not going to go past an easy meal."

But Dr Woehler warned against helping birds through a tough winter by feeding them seed.

"We generally discourage people from feeding native birds or animals because we don't want them to become reliant on people putting out the food on a regular basis," he said.

"Having said that, I've certainly got water in my garden, I've got plenty of native plants so there is supplementary food there so the birds are able to move around to supplement their natural feeding patterns with a bit of food from suburban gardens."

Dr Woehler also warned suburban home owners to look out for birds seeking warm refuge in roof cavities during the winter cold snap.

"With the below zero temperatures we've had in the past few weeks the birds are also looking for a warmer place."

[corvus]

I regularly feed my Silver Gulls with leftover food scraps ( small flock ??) some of whom have no feet or just one leg am I doing wrong feeding them ?

[vicrev]

If you are comfortable with it Corvus,just do it....

[Overlandman]

You always feed the one with the one leg,
And as he grabs the tasty morsel he puts the other leg down as he flies away

[GPSGuided]

What's a currawong? It's those NZ Kea that I would worry more. Lucky they haven't bridged the Tasman Sea.

[vicrev]

You always feed the one with the one leg,
And as he grabs the tasty morsel he puts the other leg down as he flies away

A couple of the maggies out my back door do that too,little shifties....gotta luv em though.. ..

[Nuts]

I noticed these Cockies in the yard when I got home today. More snow on the way!

[Nuts]

You always feed the one with the one leg,
And as he grabs the tasty morsel he puts the other leg down as he flies away

Damn, iv'e met some people that way, just like that!

[corvus]

Fed the Gulls again this morning they see me walking towards them and fly to meet me, eat and say thanks

[Nuts]

Ah, yeah, that's how it goes, they'll be at the table for the wine and Fray Bentos soon enough

[corvus]

As a matter of fact they have followed me mewing me me when I did not feed them

[vicrev]

My back-door Maggies sing a nice tune before they get their bits of beef mince.....great start to the day ....Iv'e come across people like that too, Nuts..

[corvus]

Used to get the Maggies cousins, Butcherbirds every day for a beef feed on the Melaleuca tree out front sadly the squaking Little Wattle Birds have usurp them and now they just sit on the Hydro wire and give a little song.

[cajun]

We had a burn off nearby on Saturday, and were visited by a number of kookaburras. Unfortunately we were hosting an engagement party, and they got very cheeky helping themselves to the nibblies plates (cheese / antipasto etc) and at one point I had to actually push one off the fence with the camera lens, after he swooped and took some meat of a guests fork!

Beautiful birds, and the first time they have ever been a nuisance. One was back yesterday looking for worms and insects on the back lawn.

[GPSGuided]

Kookaburras are steady, hardly ever fazed by human presence. They certainly consider themselves as equals. One question though, has anyone seen them attack a human? My experience is no, despite their ability to do so. Quite different to those magpies. Lovely bird and my favourite.

[north-north-west]

Kookaburras are steady, hardly ever fazed by human presence. They certainly consider themselves as equals. One question though, has anyone seen them attack a human?

A forum member (Tom Brennan, I think) has posted a lovely shot of a kookaburra just before it went at him. Fortunately it didn't do much damage. But apparently they can get a bit stroppy. I think the shot is in the 'Things I have learnt' thread.