Today has been unseasonally hot and sultry with a late afternoon storm
front moving through. Late afternoon I was birding in the Highfield Falls
area on the edge of the range just to the north of Toowoomba. About 04.45
p.m. I noticed a flock of high-flying swifts above the area - about 100,
predominantly Fork-tailed Swifts with some White-throated Needletails and 10
or 15 smaller swifts. Below are the notes I made in my notebook:-
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-smaller than Fork-tails and Needletails - noticeably so
-wing more robust than other two - not as angular on trailing edge
-white rump - very- relections? but whiter than Forktails
-white throat
-Tail (here I sketched a straight tail with slightly rounded corners and a
smallish v in the centre) - Fans it when turning ( here I have sketched the
shortish tail that is slightly rounded when fanned but with the two outer
tail feathers just slightly longer) - could almost see through central
feathers - rachis stood out
-flutters and then flaps quickly before gliding
-high- against dark cloud and then blue sky
-sun's rays beginning to slant
-hot, humid stormy. 4.45pm.
-flock of ca.100 mixed Forktails & Needletails - ca. 10-15 swifts?????
-2nd flock 5.20pm. predominantly needletails with some Forktails.
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I am basically fairly sure that I know what I saw but I would really like
some feed back and welcome lots of comments and if you bird in eastern
Queensland watch the storm fronts in this very unusual autumn weather.
Nicci Thompson
PS As I write this I am enjoying a new CD - "Earth Lady" by Donald Gaydon.
It touches many chords for those of us who love this earth. I particularly
like the track "Peregrine".
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Nicci Thompson
21 Welcombe Avenue,
Toowoomba. QLD 4350
Phone/Fax: 07 4634 3074
Mob.Phone: 015 763 707
Email:
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