birding-aus

Woodswallows on the coast of Cairns a month or so ago...???

To: Dominic Funnell <>
Subject: Woodswallows on the coast of Cairns a month or so ago...???
From: martin cachard <>
Date: Thu, 21 May 2015 13:31:13 +1030
Hey there Dominic,
nice to get a quick reply mate, thanx.
 
I was sort of relying on you a little Dom, knowing (or assuming!!!) that u 
lived at Yorkeys Knob (that's on the coast less than 5kms to south of Trinity 
Beach for our non-local birders out there).

do u recall the dates Dom of when these Masked WS were at Koah? 
did u see the birds yourself or just hear about them??
I wonder if any White-browed WS were with them??
 
even though I didn't get the best of light from 45-10mins before sunrise on the 
day I saw the huge flock at home, I reckon there would've been a smattering of 
White-browed's amongst the Masked's. 
the light actually got more difficult as sunrise got closer (I saw this flock 
from my beachfront balcony & I face EAST, so the light was tricky to say the 
very least!!).
but I remember as soon as I heard them & looked up, they were fairly low, but 
once I got my trusty Swarovs onto a few of them, I did see one White-browed 
WS... it wasn't the best of looks, so I ran downstairs to get a better 
view(always an optimist!). 
but they were so much higher, & the height got worse & worse as the sunrise got 
closer & closer!!!
but at least I got a much better handle of the number of birds by being on the 
ground with a perfectly clear (but by then DISTANT) view!!
 
Koah is just inland of Kuranda for the non-locals, but in the eucalypt belt. 
so that's more normal than beachfront, shall we say... 
But these two WS species aren't recorded at Koah all that often either - 
probably once every 4 or 5 years a small group gets reported somewhere between 
Mareeba & Koah, usually a mixed species flock of both WS but not always... & 
not always in same species ratio either.
 
& certainly never have I heard of 500++ being recorded in relative recent times 
in our district here either!!
 
so Dom, thanx for that. 
but also mate, a Pied Butcherbird in Caravonica is also more than a bit unusual 
too!! 
I've never seen one there myself or even heard of one ever being there, but 
guess what Dom...??
I totally believe you... 
because I often see Blue-faced Honeyeaters in that Lake 
Placid-Caravonica-Smithfield area, & even at home (seen only once at home) 
beachfront at Trinity Beach too!!
 
So thanx so much mate for your reply & keep looking & stay open-minded...
we will have to meet up one day too Dominic...
 
cheers,
 
martin cachard.
trinity beach, cairns.
 
 
 
 
                                          
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