Text from Ray Ackroyd

[SamDavis]

I received the following text from Ray Ackroyd last night. He's on his way back home from his annual NT/WA trip. I thought it would be of interest to all and Ray kindly agreed for me to share.

Good Evening Sam,
I have just returned to Darwin following a month taking a look through the NT and the Kimberley's. It has been a very dry year but most of the Finches are in very good numbers. There has been some very hot fires right across the region but quite frankly I don't think it has bothered the birds to any extent. The Gouldian population remains steady both in NW WA and the NT but I don't think it's because of home made nest boxes being placed in trees in areas where they don't nest. There is no shortage of nest sites for Gouldians and of course everything else nests in shrubs or trees with the exception of Masks who continually nest next to termite Mounds .
I return to Sydney next week
Cheers Ray A

Ray has been working the NT and WA areas every year for longer than most of us have been alive. He also sent the following image of a Masked nest.

masked nest (Custom).jpg

[Craig52]

Bit of conflicting news there but good news Sam,if anyone would know it would be Ray. Thanks for sharing. Craig

[branchez]

Thanks for sharing Sam.
Jack

[Tiaris]

Thanks for that. Very interesting about the Masked nests near termite nests. I wonder if given their ground nesting instinct, whether they get some slight warmth from the adjoining termite mound at night time. There must be some tangible reason for it??

[arthur]

Bit off topic, but I'm good at that . .

I got my first W-E Masks from a licensed trapper in 1970 or '71

3 pair cost me $21 (spent more than I had intended . . impulse buying) . . but in those days you could fill your car for less than $3

The trapper told me about the termite nest bit, so when I had them settled; and they were very very nervous (a species attribute in smaller aviaries, and they were wild-caught) I got a large termite mound and cut it in half with a handsaw, hollowed out the 2 halves, and put them back together wrapped in the old 2 inch 'chook mesh' and suspended it from the roof

Within a short time they began to build a nest but a tiny pair of Orange-Breasts dispossessed them. O-B's were removed and W-E's bred soon after, only a couple of months from the wild

Much later in much larger aviaries my W-E's always built on the floor (ground), next to stools of grass

Also had limited success in smaller aviaries by placing 8 inch masonry blocks on the floor near walls. They would use the cavity or go between block and wall

In my opinion W-E's are the most beautiful of our natives

[gomer]

Thanks Sam for passing on that information. Also the drier it is the greeter the numbers are seen at the last remaining water holes, best time for birding