Powerful Owl, electrocuted in Prince Henry Heights

Sightings within the local survey area for the period 1 March 2011 - 31 May 2011. 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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Mick Atzeni
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Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Powerful Owl, electrocuted in Prince Henry Heights

Post by Mick Atzeni »

In bleak, wet conditions last Sunday morning (20/3/11), Rod Hobson discerned a forlorn, greyish shape hanging from the powerlines at No. 45 Prince Henry Drive, Toowoomba. What could have been easily dismissed as a Tawny Frogmouth to the naked eye, was in fact a very unfortunate adult Powerful Owl, its corpse suspended by one of its massive, yellow talons.

When Rod went to retrieve it for the museum the following Tuesday arvo, having arranged to meet an Ergon crew there, it was gone. We subsequently found out it had fallen to the ground Monday and been left on a brush turkey mound at the back of No. 45 by the owner, but when we looked for it there all that was left were a few feathers. Something had carted it away, perhaps a goanna or dog.

This was possibly one of the Redwood Park pair. We will never know for sure.

Well-spotted Rod. A significant record that could have easily been missed as it turned out. A bit like Prince William's lightning visit that same day :-)

Cheers
Mick
Michael Atzeni
7 Woden St, Murphys Creek 4352
Mob: 0499 395 485
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