We had a dinner at Wetherby Cattle Station, northwest of Cairns, in Far North Queensland in the township of MT Molloy. While it is now listed as Mount Molloy, originally the MT mean mining town. I will tell you more later about our experience at this station in the rainforest. One of the most exciting things was seeing the bower bird nest.
This bower bird, who we never saw, collects seashells and red plastic for his palace. The nest was about 18 "tall and covered quite a bit of real estate!
This bower was in their yard, along the fence next to the road that led into their property. They said that there is another bower being built out in the field by a younger male. They also said that when they are missing odd things from the kitchen, they go check the bowers.
1 comment:
Jared Diamond in "The Third Chimpanzee" cites the bower bird as an example of the evolutionary reason for making art -- in the bower bird it's to attract a mate with the rationale that whoever builds the most beautiful decorated structure attracts the best mate. The impulse, Diamond thinks, was carried over and evolved in humans!
Post a Comment