neophema

Not much to go on here Keith. Your description of a weak whistle is more likely to be a BWP but this is not definitive. I'd be even less confident about discriminating between the escape flights of coastal Neophemas so your description doesn't help. What colour was the bird when you saw it on the ground? In particular, can you recall the colour around the face, forehead, back, chest and leading edge of the wing? It'd be worth having another look in the area to get a closer look at your mystery bird. By the way where is Bushells Lagoon (ie inland or coastal)?

Mark Holdsworth
Manager
Threatened Fauna

Coordinator
Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program


Threatened Species Unit
Nature Conservation Branch
Dept. Primary Industries Water and Environment



phone Aus 03 62 336033
fax Aus 03 62 333477

GPO Box 44
Hobart 
Tasmania 7001

"Keith Brandwood" <> Sent by: 16/04/04 12:18 PM

To:        "birdingaus" <>         cc:                 Subject:        [BIRDING-AUS] neophema

 Neophema experts, does any of you have experience with Blue Winged Parrots. My question is when flushed does this parrot have the same escape flight as that described in HANZAB for the Elegant. I flushed a Neophema at Bushells Lagoon a couple of mornings ago. It's flight was as that described for the Elegant but they dont migrate and there is no confirmed record for NSW. It gave two short weak whistle notes as it took off. I had been standing very close to it looking through my scope for some mins before it decided to fly it, zig zag away making me think it was a snipe then climbed in a high arc before I lost it against a back ground of dark trees as it descended. Did not see any colours as it was against the sky whilst in flight.

     The beaut Hawkesbury 60km N/W of Sydney

keith