Dear B-A,
I have just been watching a Noisy Miner doing a fair imitation of a Treecreeper on the trunk of a Eucalypt in my back yard. It was climbing up the trunk, happily gleaning insects from under bark that was lifting from the trunk. It was also climbing down the trunk, by grasping flakes of bark in its claws. I saw another NM using the same technique a couple of days ago. Is this a common behaviour in NMs?
Cheers,
Carl Clifford ===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
I’ve also seen Noisy Miners do this, and White-plumed Honeyeaters to a lesser extent. I have a feeling I’ve seen Brown-headed Honeyeaters do it too, but a while ago. I think I’ve mainly seen it in the cooler months when there would presumably be less insects about among the leaves and gum blossom.
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Stephen,
What really surprised me, was seeing them climbing down the trunk, rather like a Nuthatch. The NMs seemed to compensate for their lack of the Nuthatch’s specialised halluces, by using protruding bark flakes as steps. Fascinating to watch.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
I don’t know the answer to your question Carl, but I’ve occasionally heard White-plumed Honeyeaters imitate the call of Brown Treecreepers in woodland on the NSW South-west Slopes. Similarly to your NM situation, the imitating WPHEs are usually gleaning insects from under bark either on the trunk or on fallen timber (fallen tree limbs or logs). Very annoying when trying to conduct transect surveys of Brown Treecreeper populations.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW
I don’t know the answer to your question Carl, but I’ve occasionally heard White-plumed Honeyeaters imitate the call of Brown Treecreepers in woodland on the NSW South-west Slopes. Similarly to your NM situation, the imitating WPHEs are usually gleaning insects from under bark either on the trunk or on fallen timber (fallen tree limbs or logs). Very annoying when trying to conduct transect surveys of Brown Treecreeper populations.
Stephen Ambrose Ryde NSW