Frogmouth

The local pair of Tawny frogmouths are back on deck (most of the time).  The first evidence of this was an "ooming"  call heard in the night of 4 February.  As was the case last year the pair turned up 7 days later (after an absence of about 60 days since they were last spotted with the chicks).

In comparison with last year the birds seem to have reverted to full-on snuggling rather than the male often roosting separately from the female.  They have been sighted quite often in the 'favourite tree' where they are quite obvious (if one looks for them but still quite camouflaged to the passing predator). 

They have also adopted a roost in a eucalypt on the SW corner of our garden (which I will call a new roost but it may just mean I hadn't noticed them there before).  It is conveniently situated near our dam -aka Pobblebonk Central.  I have found them here about half the time since they returned.

One benefit of this roost is that the thickness of the branch shows clearly the two positioning arrangements of their feet.

The female (tawnier bird, on the left) has a more or less conventional position with toes clasped around the branch while the male has a 'split finger' grip parallel to the branch.  I have read that frogmouths are one of the few birds which can adopt such a position, which is of course particularly helpful when perched on a larger branch.