The Newstead district is home to a number of pairs of Barking Owls Ninox connivens.
I was very fortunate to be able to visit a local site yesterday where one pair has taken up residence. We have three Ninox owls locally – the largest is the Powerful Owl and smallest the Southern Boobook. The Barking Owl is intermediate in size but its habits are more akin to the Powerful Owl, feeding on mid-sized mammals such as Sugar Gliders and rabbits. They have been locally reported on a regular basis in recent times, possibly the result of folks being more alert to their presence, especially their signature woof-woof calls.
The birds usually perch close together during daylight hours, choosing dark canopied trees, often along drainage lines. Roost sites are easily recognised by the collection of whitewash and ejected pellets, containing the minced up remains of their victims.
We hear one every now and then in the forest near us in Castlemaine.
Thank you yet again Geoff. Wonderful photos.
Natural Gothic, @Geoff. Owls are such wonderful animals. And anything (indigenous) that hunts rabbits is a friend of mine. Inimicus inimici mei amicus meus est.