Hi there
I have just joined this forum. I have recently moved to property in Tarragindi about 6km outside Brisbanes CBD. My house has a backyard that backs on to bushland. Its a fantastic place. A couple of days ago I noticed I had some neighbours in the form of 4 tawny frogmouths sleeping in a tree in my backyard. I am not sure how long they have been their as they were very well hidden. At first I thought there was only one in the tree until I discovered another three almost right in front of me. My question is do they stay in the one place to sleep during the day or do they move from place to place? I really need to mow my lawn lol but I don't want to disturb them and scare them off. I think I will do this at dusk when they become more active.what do think? In addition to tawny frogmouths I have also heard eastern whipbirds (can never see these!!) currowongs,kookaburras,butcher birds and lorrakeets. As you can imagine it gets quite noisy in the mornings!!
Hi Ando, your tawny mouths have taken a likeng to your place and hopfully will nest there every year. You will not scare them of by mowing. I use a ride on mower on our property out Eskshire and my pair of tawnys have been nesting and raising their young, always three young ones for over seven years now. When the young are ready they leave the parents to make their own life and the parents will return next year to start all over again. They do not make a nest of their own, usually they make do with an abandant nest and add bits to do.
You are bless to have them. Thay are hardy birds and not a true owl as such.
Last year I discovered Tawny Frogmouths in the Wolli Valley. They were right near a busy carpark* (instead of favouring a quiet spot in the 50ha of bush!)
After I'd brought a few school groups past to marvel at them, they vanished. I thought we must have scared them off.
However, they are back in their regular spot and seem to have left for breeding as a 3rd tawny has since been spotted :-)
* presumably they like the carpark lights for attracting moths etc at night.
---booshkie---