2011/06/07

The Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis) or Schwarzkehl-Krähenwürger

The Pied Butcherbird inhabits drier forests and woodlands throughout the Australian mainland and is famous for it’s singing which sounds like a beautiful, melodious fluting. Mrs. Schmitz and me could hear this particular specimen pictured above before we could spot it just outside a motel in Dubbo with the promising name ‘Quality Inn Dubbo International’ on a rather frosty morning during our latest road trip to the New South Wales Outback. We could call ourselves lucky to have stayed the night in this high-end motor inn because our room was literally the last one we could find after arriving quite late from Sydney the evening before. The city of Dubbo is the largest population center of the Orana Region in New South Wales, hence it’s importance as schooling and shopping center, but nevertheless we where surprised that none of the many other accommodations could offer us any vacancy. Especially because on first sight Dubbo seems to consist of nothing more that a shopping mall, a couple of schools, an gigantic RSL (The Returned and Services League of Australia club see BOTW # XX) and countless motels. It was our second visit of this exiting regional center and we where surprised to find it swarming with young families in holiday mood, because the first time we had found the place in a rather abandoned state. To this day we don’t know what triggered this influx of visitors, but fact was that we couldn’t find any accommodation until we tried the ‘Quality Inn Dubbo International’. I can’t say that our room was cheap by any means but to be honest it was also the first motel room I have stayed in that came with a Jacuzzi and a fancy bathroom with a see-through glass wall. Latter extra seemed a bit strange because it allowed a good vista on anybody using the toilet from any part of the main room. Maybe that’s why it was the last free room in Dubbo.

Next week:  The Rec-capped Robin or once it get’s dry