Twenty enthusiastic and well rugged-up COGites joined Anthony Overs for what may now have become an annual event. The weather was fine, slightly breezy and the sky moonlit with the temperature dropping from 12 degrees towards 4 degrees later in the evening. Our convoy, only once momentarily confused, drove along Captains Flat Road before diverting through Rossi to Forestry Headquarters on the edge of the Tallaganda Forest. Here Anthony gave a briefing on the science and practice of nocturnal bird-calling while Carole practiced performing voluntary movement under the substantial weight of the spotlight battery pack.
Our primary target was the Powerful Owl that had been seen in the area several times before, including during the previous COG owl search a year ago. April-May is the lead-up to the Powerful Owl breeding season and this makes it the best time of year for locating them. While preparing to nest they will vocalise for territory proclamation or social contact and, more significantly for us, will investigate possible territorial intrusions. The intention in playing the owl’s call is to emulate such an intrusion and draw the owl to our location. The calling procedure was explained in suitable detail: stop quietly at site, listen for 5-10 minutes for calls, broadcast the target call for several minutes, wait a couple more minutes while watching for incoming flight against silhouetted sky areas, then check the trees by spotlight.
We put this into practice at several sites including where the owl was seen last year and at the Lowden Forest picnic area adjacent to the water wheel. The results were not as we might have hoped; however we did find prime ‘owl food’. At one location we had splendid views of a Ring-tailed Possum, while at the picnic area a Greater Glider entertained during our hot drinks and photograph break. Despite the presence of its favoured foods we neither saw nor heard a Powerful Owl. In fact the only birds recorded were a far-off Boobook calling and a collection of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos overheard while we were at Forestry HQ.
Although lacking owls, it was an interesting and extremely enjoyable trip with the mammals being the definite highlight. Thanks go to Anthony for organising and educating and the impressive audio hardware.
P.S. — The irony of the spontaneous appearance two weeks later of a Powerful Owl at the Botanic Gardens, very central Canberra, has not been lost on anybody.
Julian Robinson