Sunday, July 19, 2009

Gouldian Finch Sightings in Mareeba


Exciting news flash !

We have received photos of Gouldian Finches seen in the back yard of a Mareeba resident ! For the past 9 years the WCTQ have been breading and releasing Gouldian Finches to try and re establish a population in the area.

And now the sightings and photos of a male and female with bands on have been found. Checking the records it was found that both birds were released in October 2007. The male was an adult and the female a juvenile when released.

This is very exciting news !

Red - backed Kingfisher

Early winter arrival.

On April 24th 2009 a male and female Red-backed Kingfisher arrived.

Winter residents at Jabiru Safari Lodge at Mareeba Wetlands.

BB the bower bird


BB was a rehabilitated Great bower bird who was released at the wetlands earlier this year.

He was supposed to fly off with our other bower birds and be free !!

Unfortunately BB didn't want to leave and became our resident Bower bird. He was very friendly, greeting people as they arrived, swooping over their heads. He loved toes especially painted toe nails and would chase kids around the visitor centre. But BB was becoming a pest, he was starting to enjoy peoples lunches and had taken to living in the visitor centre. He was not looking like he would leave "home" any time soon. So BB was taken for a ride over to Pandanus Lagoon and told to fly away and be a bower bird !

That was 2 weeks ago and so far he has not returned to the visitor centre, so we hope he has now found a home.

Whenever we hear a bower bird we call out BB!!