canberrabirds

Honeyeaters visit Lighthouse

To: Muriel Brookield <>,
Subject: Honeyeaters visit Lighthouse
From: Carol Probets <>
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 19:28:47 +1000
Hi Muriel and all,

Good question. I visited Green Cape two years ago (on 31st March 2003) and at that time noted flocks of migrating Yellow-faced wheeling around at the very tip of the cape before moving off along the coastline to the north. At the time I wondered if they had flown across Disaster Bay to arrive at this point although I didn't actually see them flying over the water.

Perhaps they did follow the coastline for the entire length of the peninsula. I wonder if a proportion of the population are programmed to just follow the coast, with all its kinks and bumps, northwards. Seems like this would add a lot of unnecessary distance to the journey but perhaps it takes them through potentially good feeding habitat. Or perhaps they're just taking the "scenic route". Ah, the mysteries of bird migration.

Cheers,
Carol

P.S. Here in the Blue Mountains, the honeyeater migration didn't start until 1st April this year, but have had a few good days since then including last Sunday and Monday (when I had a couple of Scarlet Honeyeaters moving through with the many Yellow-faced). Hardly any White-naped as yet. As some of you know, the migrating flocks pass directly over my home in Katoomba.



At 10:32 AM +1000 20/4/05, Muriel Brookield wrote:
Went to Green Cape on Sunday. Very windy. Was intrigued by the arrival from 11.15 onwards of groups of migrating honeyeaters, mainly Yellowfaced, about 20+ at a time, from the southern slope.

Why would they fly the length of the peninsula?  Off to New Zealand?
No, they took shelter in the mediium sized bushes on the inland side of the lighthouse. Then returned by the way they came (did they know there was a peregrine falcon waiting on the northern slope?). Wind was increasing.

Were they just visiting? Maybe young ones which had never seen a lighthouse before?

Muriel


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