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Kookaburra near Hamilton

Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:51 pm
by RussCannings
Was at Lake Rotokauri at dusk this evening (NW of Hamilton) Friday evening listening for bittern. Heard 1 but much less expected was a distant kookaburra that chorused for around 10 seconds to the west somewhere. Didn't have bins and light was fading. Only heard it the once though and I had to get going to a staff dinner.

Not sure if Hamilton zoo has them? This was coming from the opposite direction. Quite the surprise!

Russ

Re: Kookaburra near Hamilton

Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 7:56 am
by Neil Fitzgerald
I'm pretty sure there are none at the zoo. I need to go there next week to count (wild) birds so will ask. My first thought was if it could be one of the primates there. Their calls carry a long way, but if it was the opposite direction that's probably not it.

Re: Kookaburra near Hamilton

Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 12:22 pm
by RussCannings
Ya I wondered that too initially (despite its distinctiveness). For a split second I thought it might be a nearby spotless crake rattling but then it broke out of the low trill into "ah-ah-ahs" and I realised it was over 100m away. Looking on the map I would say it was somewhere between the lake lookout bench/table spot and Duck Rd. I couldn't say for sure if there were multiple (birds) but my best guess was a single.

Re: Kookaburra near Hamilton

Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2018 5:36 pm
by jgolden
Hamilton Zoo doesn't have Kookaburra.

Lake Rotokauri is full of surprises. I spotted a falcon out there a few weeks ago. Sounds like I need to spend more time out there.