We had the excitement of an unexpected visitor to our place this week - a bird species we hadn't known was living in these parts.
This is an Australian Brush-turkey ( Alectura lathami ) - also referred to as the Bush or Scrub turkey. 
This picture isn't the best, but it was all I could manage at short notice; it was taken in the long grass bordering our cleared orchard area. A few minutes later he/she was off again into the bush.
A member of the mound-building, megapode family and related to the pheasant, Brush-turkies are very common in the forests and bushland of south-east Queensland and even considered a nuisance by some. You can read the amusing account of what Patty in Brisbane has to say about them in her post, Dreaded Bush Turkey.
Soon after moving here six years ago, we compiled a rough list of all the birds we had seen visiting our yard. At that time there were over 30. Now we can add Alec - or at least his mate - this one didn't appear to have the distinctive large yellow wattles of a male.
Brush-turkies are always around in force in our nearby National Parks, ever hopeful of food-scraps from picnickers and bush-walkers. The little town of Mount Tamborine mentions them in its tourist and advertising brochures. The residents there also find them rather a pest. In the early settlers' days they would have welcomed them as fair game for the cooking-pot!
I'm hoping Alec will visit again - and wouldn't even mind if he/she decides to tear up some of our mulch to build a mound. Well ... just the once maybe, so we can observe the whole process at close quarters.
NOW, BEFORE I GO ...
If you are a bird enthusiast, do go and read the latest 'I and the Bird' edition - I and the Bird #16 over at the Dharma Bums' blog. A collection of interesting posts about birds in the wild from all over the world. There are lots of fascinating stories and facts there -- and you will find that my recent Tawny frogmouth post has been included.
After my Merops Ornatus chastisement I thought I didn't have a bird post to contribute. However, after reading you Frogmouth again today I realized I had written about Cheeg - Zebra Finches - in the past and should have put it in. Next time. I might expand it a bit to include the words Taeniopygia guttata, just to keep up with the academic set.
Did you see the "I love my computer, my friends are in it" post on Back Home Again?
Thanks for the encouragement on worms. I might move onto germs next!
Posted by: Account Deleted | February 03, 2006 at 10:19 PM
You should have still posted Merops -- but an update on the Z. fiches would be a good idea.
Yes, saw Jerry's cleaning post - just left a comment on it. For anyone interested: http://jwiley.typepad.com/back_home_again/2006/02/my_kind_of_clea.html
Posted by: Jude | February 04, 2006 at 01:00 AM