Hi all,
Following Chris Tzaros' report of Swift Parrots at Pipemakers Park in
Maribyrnong on the week-end, I stopped by there to have a look around late this
afternoon. I know this area well as I've done Atlas surveys here for about 3
years and I have loooked for Swifties in the two past winters without luck.
Initially I searched and listened in Pipemakers Park but found no Swifties. I
crossed the footbridge across the Maribyrnong to check out the gums inthe
carpark at the clubhouse of the Riverside Golf Course (Ascot Vale). In this
spot I've seen Rainbow, Musk and Little Lorikeets in the past.
After some careful searching and listening I located a group of 12 Swifties
sitting quietly in the top of a eucalypt aadjacent to the car park and
clubhouse(off Stanford St). They were completely silent and it took me some
time to properly identify them in the dull light. They sat preening for about
30 minutes. After that they became more active and noisier an eventuallly took
off to nearby trees. For the next half hour they moved about the various gums
around the carpark and adjoining area. They seemed to have broken up into
smaller groups and eventually I lost them all in the gathering dusk. Several
times they were evicted from gums by Red Wattle Birds. On pair flew into a Port
Jackson Fig briefly. I left at around 5.30. I got the feeling that they didn't
go far away. I was hoping to see where they would roost or which direction they
would go at dusk. Unfortunately I lost them before I could establish either.
In the immediate area there is Pipemakers Park, Fairbairn Park, Riverside Golf
Course, Walter St Reserve and the Maribyrnong River all of which I suspect may
be suitable for them(refer Melways 28, B10, C9, C10and E 10 repsctively). With
luck they might stay around for a while. Maribyrnong is about 9 kms NW of
Melbourne CBD.
Jim Caine
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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