Morepork

Hi all,

On Friday Joy, Helen and I went down to Hamilton to have a look at Steve and Jenny Clark’s Morepork. Both Steve and Jenny have been extremely friendly and helpful and I thank them for all the emails and phone calls to help us see the bird. The Morepork was snoozing quietly in the hakea in the back yard and we had wonderful views of it as it hid on its ivy covered branch.

After I got home I started doing a bit of research. On the IOC website the current check list (v3.3) shows the Morepork to be a separate species (Ninox novaeseelandiae leucopsis), split from the Southern Boobook. On the Proposed Splits/lumps page it shows that they are now looking at splits from the Boobook (Ninox boobook). They are proposing to have Southern Boobook (*Ninox boobook*); Spotted Boobook (*Ninox leucopsis*) and Red Boobook (*Ninox lurida*). It is all a bit confusing to me and I will be interested to see the outcome if the splits are accepted. I then went back to my 1958 edition of *What Bird is That? *and it appears that if the splits are accepted we will be reverting to the situation as it was then and earlier with Boobook, Spotted Boobook and Red Boobook.

I also want to thank Jenny for putting me onto The Old Bakery in Dunkeld, it is nothing to do with birds but as I do enjoy finding good food outlets when I go birding this one needs a mention. They stock a really delicious Blue Vein cheese from Apostle Whey Cheese. It is called Bolte’s Bonanza with a classic cartoon image of Henry’s face on the label – but you need to be a Victorian of a certain age to remember that crinkly old face and get a laugh from it (smile).

cheers

Jenny http://jenniferspryausbirding.blogspot.com.au/ ===============================

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