Some Observations on the Lowan 

 at Wychitella 



by lUillJollNMUN 



Satlj in June Of l''7n. I made a 

 survey "of the Lowan nests. and found 

 four Of these ;ietive. The activity was 

 evident due to the birds haviny 

 opened Up 9 CWt&t in each nesl. This 

 IS a tapered hole iniu the mound, 

 ahout 3 ft. 6 in, I" 4 teel deep, and 

 about (S feet wide ;it the 1i>p. 



I his woik ^ done from mid-Jtliie 

 lo Julv Hierc then appeals to he 

 a rest period of a week or two until 

 ahout August, when the sciatchmg 

 and sweeping of the leaves and twigs 

 begins. Ihcsc are not gathered into 

 the nest al once, but scratched or 

 swept into a row which may extend 

 sixty to e : gJuy feet from the nest. 

 This is. I believe, so that a good 

 amount of the tilling can be done 

 in n shoil time Aboul lhrcc-o,uuu -is 

 of the compost is filled in during 

 the one operation, and no Ettrlhftl 

 filling takes place until a fair ram 

 has fallen. Some scratching is then 

 earried on into this compost. ,.s 

 though to examine it tor dampness 

 At this stage, more compos), com- 

 posed ot COBtser materials than in the 

 first ease, is scratched up. 



If (here is El tail of ram following, 

 the Lowan begins to fill m ihe loose 

 earth of the crater, and this is gener- 

 ally mixed with old rotted compost 

 which is damp. Ihe filling begins 

 well down the side of the compost 

 heap, as though the birds make sure 

 that this outer perimeter of soil is 

 well packed. This careful tilling iS 

 done m stages, taking a week or 

 two', and if there is H dry break in the 

 weal her. slightly longer But if ihe 



M"ic»»t<. ..no" tvwm tfWMI II ma H 

 aril 



It* 



lain comes about this lime, ili L . 

 lowan is able to cover Ihe top ol 

 Ihe nesi very uuiekly. In a day or 

 so he can put up V) two lect of soil 

 over the crown ol the nest. 



I have noticed thai the Lchidiu 

 will burrow into the I owan's ncsi 

 | Ins vear I lound L.lndiia bin rows 

 in Iwo nests. Tins was when fa 

 nests were about filled with compost 

 These burrows appeared lo go well I 

 down ijUO the base ol the nesis, g£ 

 I put a i to 4- 1 out suck down each 

 The I.nwan doc* not appear to 

 bother aboul tins intrusion into its 

 nest, and makes no effort to till in 

 ihe burrow, hut covets up the cniry 

 with the eailh used 10 eover ihe 

 rest of the eomposi heap. I noticed 

 Ihese burrows aboul August, and 

 reasoned lhal the IVhidna would 

 hibernale ahout this lime, because 

 n is about ihen thai ihe Echidna 

 hatches Us voung and leeds them 

 in ihe pouch Such a pile, of loose 

 carlh and debris is often used In 

 the Lehidna, but not always, for 

 I have found the burrows in hard 

 earth on the gully banks loo. 



I wondered on noticing these bur- 

 row- in the nests, if it was al all 

 possible lhal the lehidna was afler 

 the eggs of the Lowan. 



On" the last Sunday in September 

 there was a good fell (lf ra,M - " ml 

 ihe bush had a good suaking On the 

 following Wednesday evening. I 

 went with Iwo friends to a Lowan 

 nesl on the wesi side ol the road, 

 and to mv surprise I found .1 htfft 

 hehidna dead by the side of the flftw 

 This was one uf ihe Lownn nests 

 in which I had noticed Die burro* 



Viet. Nat Vol 86 



