I was looking over the dam at a local property today, and saw what I
first thought were swallows. However, a few things made me wonder:
First, they were flocking -- there was a good 15-25 birds together. I
don't recall seeing swallows in those numbers before.
Second, they were up higher than what I'm used to seeing -- in my mind,
swallows often fly much lower, and frequently dip a drink in the water
as well as catch their dinner on the wing. these were flying at and
above the tree top level -- lots of tall large eucalypts. And I saw none
dipping a drink in the dam.
Also, not all appeared to have forked tails -- at first I assumed martins.
Finally, it was as a cool change came through this afternoon.
So does it look like I was watching a flock of swallows with perhaps a
couple martins tossed in, or were these fork-tailed swifts and
white-throated needle tails? To my knowledge, I've never seen the latter
before, though I gather they are not terribly uncommon at the leading
edge of a cool change.
Thanks in advance for your help to a casual birder.
Cheers
Gordon Cain
Schofields, NSW
(NW Blacktown, close to the Hawkesbury, NW Sydney)
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