Hi All,
I have been flat strap since getting back last Saturday after watching the total eclipse – hence this is the first time I have read the thread about what the birds did.
We watched it from near Mt Molloy and had an uninterrupted view. It was the most magical thing I have ever seen! In response to Phil Veerman’s email I decided to try and get a recording, but I did not want to have to think about being distracted from such a visual event.
When we finally drove out of clouds to a spot where the sun was in full view near Rifle Creek I noticed a track leading off the layby where we parked. I walked down the track at high speed to put my olympus recorder and microphone far enough away from hollering, yelling humans (me among them, of course!) – but near enough to allow me to be able to identify the exact time of totality.
So I have a recording from about 0615 to 10 minutes after totality.
I have listened to it once since and have not downloaded it yet. Once I do download it and work out the timings correctly I will be more than happy to share it with anyone with an interest or bent in analysing this sort of thing.
Understand, though, that I am a real novice at this, and so I cannot vouch for how useful it will be, and, as mentioned you can hear some human responses and chatterings in the background. I would also assume that I am not the only birder who did this, and it would be really interesting to compare recordings.
What I can say is that White-throated Honeyeaters sang during totality and lorikeets shut up! And amazingly, some humans totally ignored the event as a couple of cars drove past during totality without stopping!!!
For those who have only seen eclipses on TV, the actual experience is very different. I was expecting it to go as dark at night but it was much more like what the Scots would describe as a ‘gloaming’.
Kind regards
Judith
PS. Thanks to all who provided info on the White-browed Crakes. We had terrific views!
Judith Hoyle Brisbane 0437549301
> From: pveerman@pcug.org.au > To: wildlifeexperiences@gmail.com; pshute@nuw.org.au > Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:59:03 +1100 > CC: canberrabirds@canberrabirds.org.au; birding-aus@vicnet.net.au > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Birds at the eclipse > > For reference read my 30 page article: (1982) ‘A record of avian and other > responses to the total solar eclipse – 23 October 1976’, Australian Bird > Watcher 9: 179-209. (The world’s biggest analysis of animal behaviour to a > solar eclipse.) > > For what it is worth, here is the blurb written for when I was invited to > talk at a Total Solar Eclipse conference in Los Angeles a few years ago. > > Speech Abstract > > One big question about Total Solar Eclipses is what do birds and other fauna > do when the light goes out during the day? There are many reports that > mention this in passing but most are the observations of just one person at > one site rather than a coordinated study. Many older reports are more > fanciful than believable. On 23 October 1976 we had a TSE in Victoria, > Australia. Monash University Centre for Continuing Education planned for the > event for school children to investigate the range of things that happen > during an eclipse. Of all the programs, it was only those on animal > behaviour that were followed up after the event. Also members of the Bird > Observers Club were encouraged to send in their observations. The > presentation will describe the logistics of the project and some of the > results and include connections to various other studies and make > recommendations as to future events. > > The weather on the day was cloudy with the sun mostly covered over but the > event was still dramatic to the fauna and for many people. I investigated > these aspects and eventually completed a 30 page article: Veerman, P.A. > (1982) ‘A record of avian and other responses to the total solar eclipse – > 23 October 1976′, Australian Bird Watcher: 179-209. That was based on the > observations of about 150 BOCA members and school students throughout > Victoria in the program “Operation Blackout”. The most notable reaction was > the roosting and vocalisation behaviour of birds. Vocalisations included > some cessation during the eclipse and a variable false dawn chorus after. > Roosting and panicking behaviour was also variable, largely according to > habitat. These will be described. A lot could be learned on the aspect of > photoperiodism (or internal clocks) of animals from eclipse studies. > Preferably by combining results from different parts of the earth which > would be under the same eclipse at local times differing by several hours. > Failing that, comparing results from many different eclipses at different > local times will elucidate how birds perceive the short night and false dawn > relative to their internal clocks. > > Presenter > Philip A. Veerman developed an interest in birds very early and has long > been a member of the main Australian birding study organisations. He has > contributed to a range of bird and other fauna survey work done by these and > other organisations. When “Operation Blackout” happened in 1976 he was a > second year biology student at La Trobe University. This qualification has > long since been completed and added to by further study. His involvement > with solar eclipses stems from being invited to come along to the first > planning session for “Operation Blackout” to represent the Bird Observers > Club. These sessions grew into this project. However it was the effort to > compile all the highly variable inputs from many sources into a fairly > coherent document that makes the study notable. The 1982 paper: “A record of > avian and other responses to the total solar eclipse – 23 October 1976’, > Australian Bird Watcher: 179-209 still appears to be the world’s biggest > analysis of animal behaviour to a solar eclipse. The relevant research is > only one of several of his publications built around his analyses of a large > scale volunteer-based surveys of bird biology. Now living in Canberra, the > Australian Capital Territory, he has also most notably recently published > works on a long term large scale bird population study in Canberra. > > > —–Original Message—– > From: birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au > [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of John Harris > Sent: Wednesday, 14 November 2012 9:51 AM > To: Peter Shute > Cc: birding-aus@vicnet.net.au; canberrabirds@canberrabirds.org.au > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Birds at the eclipse > > > Yes peter, > The total eclipse was in October 1976. As a young lad at the time, my > parents and I kept many birds in aviaries. Being about 4pm, the birds all > began to “pack up” for the day and start roosting. Once the eclipse was > over, the birds resumed normal activities. > > Yours in all things “Green” > > John Harris > Owner – Wildlife Experiences > 0409090955 > On Nov 14, 2012 9:42 AM, “Peter Shute”
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