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taroom central qld - swifts, bustards, brolgas

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Subject: taroom central qld - swifts, bustards, brolgas
From:
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2006 06:08:39 -0500
seasons greetings all
six or more white throated needletails seen late yesterday (28.12) over the 
devils pulpit, a property about 90km NE of roma, qld, midway between taroom and 
wallumbilla, ahead of a small scud among the lingering cloud band.   
a magnificent male bustard was displaying by the road in and there was an 
unid'd raptor - poss little eagle - that eluded me for a second day plus a pair 
of wedge-tailed eagles in a sandstone gorge on the eurombah ck.
a belah and ironbark gully was abuzz with many white-winged trillers, rainbow 
bee eaters, jacky winters, double-barred finches, white-breasted woodswallows 
and a lone striated pardalote all seen in a matter of minutes. 
 
earlier that afternoon on a neighbouring property, 3 beautiful brolgas 
parachuted in mary poppins style and there was a bustard with a busted leg 
which seemed otherwise ok. strutting brown songlarks were in fine voice on the 
flat by the two puddles that used to be the lagoon. there were a couple of 
brave royal spoonbills, plumed egrets, black-winged stilts and a lone 
red-capped dotterel. white-breasted woodswallows were nesting in the dead gums 
as were red-rumped parrots. cockatiels, superb fairy wrens, a mistletoebird and 
more ww trillers were also present. sadly no red-winged parrots this year. 
overall it was a shadow of its former self, birdwise.
 
in the well-watered house garden live yellow-throated miners, apostlebirds, 
grey-crowned babblers, tawny frogmouths and a talented grey butcher bird that 
rattled off a medley of calls (incl peewee, magpie, crow, willy wagtail, 
apostlebird, miner, galah and crested pigeon in flight). alas the spotted 
bowerbirds that used to nest in the front garden left a couple of years ago and 
haven't returned, a bit like the rain. 
 
speaking of which, it was still very dry despite almost an inch falling very 
lightly over 3 days starting xmas day but a nice present from hughie 
nonetheless.
 
on the way back today, 2 black kites just west of oakey, one with a 
suspiciously pale head, the tease.  
 
happy new year
shane b
ascot q  
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