Spot the bower ...

Nick found something good in the fossicking area today.

No, not opal!

This a Spotted Bowerbird's bower. The shape of the bower is very similar to that of the Satin Bowerbird but the colour scheme and decoration differs.


When we still lived on the Central Coast of New South Wales, we would often camp in the Watagan forest.  Satin Bowerbirds would visit regularly and one had a bower near our usual campsite, decorated with all kinds of blue items.

This bower was very interesting.  There was a lot of broken glass and I had to be careful to avoid it when kneeling to take photos.

The ground at the perimeter of the bower had a few coloured hair and cable ties, a broken brakelight, some small fruits - and lots of broken glass.

The path to the bower (and bower itself) was lined with a large collection of white and white-ish stones.  A couple looked as if they had been taken from someone's garden.

There were tightly-crumpled pieces of used aluminium foil, many bolts, some nails, drink-can ring-pulls, marbles and coloured glass stones, metal shade-cloth staples, very worn plastic bottle caps and knobs - as well as a few shells.

We were very impressed by the quantity and quality of the collection - and took Vaughan after school so he could have a look also.  Hopefully the bird's intended female audience will be similarly taken with his artistic endeavours!