Hi Birders,
I too was enthralled by a pair of Peregrines at the Dairy Swamp, Tuggerah
yesterday. I was doing my 20 minutes, 2 ha regular Bird Atlas survey of the
site and a number of Straw-necked Ibis were circling above and coming in to
land on the other side of the Swamp. Suddenly the Masked Lapwings and Stilts
were all crying out and yelping and there was a rush of air above and there
was the male Peregrine taking a dive at an immature Straw-necked Ibis!
The Peregrine attempted to attack first from above, then from below and
missed because the Ibis just managed to turn at the last minnute, and then
the Peregrine swung around to go above and attempted to swoop again from
above and almost clipped the Ibis 's head as the Ibis shot straight down to
the ground and landed in a group of Straw-necked Ibis standing on the bank.
In the melee that ensured, as all the ibis scattered, the intended victim
escaped.
By that time the female Peregrine attempted to swoop on a White-faced Heron
that had taken off from where the Straw-necks were, and flew across trhe
Swamp. Seeing the Peregrine on its tail, that White-faced Heron dived
straight in and under the water! It momentarily stayed under the water as
the Peregrine shot past, then re-surfaced, and flew low over the water to
the bank.
Meanwhile the male Peregrine had decided to have a go at the Masked
Lapwings. By that time 22 Masked Lapwings and Glossy Ibis were circling
around in the one group, trying to stay above the Peregrines, and calling as
they went! A lone Masked Lapwing decided to join then and it became a target
for the male Peregrine and the chace was on, must swerving and swooping and
calling! Finally either the lone Lapwing decided to head straight for the
flock of Lapwings, or the Lapwings decided to head for the Peregrine, I am
not too sure which, but in all the confusion, just as the Peregrine swooped
under the Lapwing and came up for the kill, they flew into the flock, and
again in the confusion, the intended victim escaped. After stirring up all
the ducks, cormorants, herons, lapwings and Ibis, the Peregrines decided to
go elsewhere!
This is the second time I have seen the Peregrines hunting here recently
(when a Corella was taken), so maybe they have set up a nesting territory
nearby.
Alan Morris
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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