APOLOGIES IF THIS TURNS UP TWICE: I SENT
IT LAST NIGHT BUT SOMEHOW IT DID NOT GET THROUGH SO I’M TRYING AGAIN.
Thanks to John Cummings excellent guidance, Pat
O’Malley and I were fortunate to see flocks of about 50 Swifties on Tuesday
afternoon at the back of the Mt Druitt shops.
My previous definite sighting a couple of years back
was when a large flock almost strafed us en route from A to B and while we were
clear what we saw, we hardly got leisurely views. It was quite different this
time, with the birds feeding on lerps in the trees for as long as we wanted to
enjoy them. Awesome.
John asked us what we thought the trees were—Messmate
Stringybark, Pat thinks, having looked in the Boys Own Book of Aussie
Trees. These trees are
more common in Vic and Tas (also Swift Parrot strongholds) but they were
clearly planted and not naturally occurring and, as maybe they are in Vic and
Tas, the birds were very at home feeding in them.
Stephen
BTW: John: thinking about the calls in the night
which seem to drop away at dawn which you were discussing when we called your
phone, Pat suggests, and I agree, probably Pallid Cuckoo. J
---------------------------------------------------------
Dr Stephen Mugford
Managing Director
QQSR
PO Box 12
Gungahlin, ACT 2912,
AUSTRALIA
Ph:
+61 2 6242-1008
Mob:
+61 411 466640
