Geese and Geckos

Sightings within the local survey area for the period 1 Dec 2011 - 29 Feb 2012. The local survey area is a rectangular area extending from Kingsthorpe NW of Toowoomba to the Mt Whitestone/Fordsdale area SE of Helidon.

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Rod Hobson
Posts: 509
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:03 am

Geese and Geckos

Post by Rod Hobson »

Folks,

It's interesting to think of the number of night-flying birds you miss when you spend most of your waking nocturnal hours ensconced in front of the idiot-box. Over the last two nights I've had fellow birders David Stewart and Richard Johnson staying at our home in Webb Street, Toowoomba. They were in town, as part of a panel attending a Commonwealth Government sponsored workshop that is reassesssing the management plan for the southern subspecies of the Squatter Pigeon.

Dave, Richard and I have spent our night time reminiscencing on our back patio during the hours that I'd normally be indoors. On Tuesday night (13th December) Richard heard Magpie Geese calling overhead about 9.00pm and earlier, just on dusk, we saw a pair of Little Corellas flying towards the Alderley Street Waterbird Habitat. Last night, about 9.30pm the Magpie Geese again flew over and appeared to be heading towards the west, "honking" away as they went. I was fortunate enough to hear them as well this time.

On a more disturbing note we also heard the "chuck chuck"-ing of the Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) from somewhere in our ceiling. This geko is slowly establishing itself in Toowoomba; another unwelcome animal invader from foreign shores.

These were both new birds for my 'yard list' even if by a stretch of the imagination of the definition for a house yard.

Regards,
Rod Hobson
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