White-throated Needletail over Tuggeranong

[Denis Wilson <>]

Needletails over Robertson. NSW (approx 170 Km n-e from Canberra). 

Further to the report of Needletails in Tuggeranong, I can now report that two days ago (Wed. 9 March 2011), between 5:15 and 5:30 PM I watched a steady procession of WT Needletails hawking, (feeding actively) at low altitude. Much feeding occurred at approx twice treetop height (estimated feeding height approx 80 to 100 metres).
Lots of "Flying Ants" around (larger and heavier in flight than Termites).
See two composite images of Flying Ants and also of White-throated Needletails (ID is clear). 

Not good images, but serve purpose of showing relatively low flying birds, and different positions (while feeding and circling).

Weather conditions mid-level cloud, not threatening. Light rain fell several house later.

Impossible to determine numbers of birds. They were generally travelling north, but some limited "circling" makes it impossible to be sure there was not some double counting.
I watched them for 15 minutes, Average 5 birds visible at any time. But in general they were passing by at roughly 90 second periods. 
Numbers estimated as follows: 15 mins duration of sighting / 1.5 min duration X 5 birds at any one time = 50 birds.

Birds were coming from Shoalhaven Valley, over Belmore Falls, passing over Robertson and disappearing northwards, along Illawarra Escarpment.

Denis Wilson

On Fri, Mar 11, 2011 at 1:52 PM, <> wrote:

Just counted at least 25 White-throated Needletail flying in loose flocks over the Tuggeranong Town Centre between 12.30pm and 1.30pm, mostly heading in a northerly direction.

Kind regards

Matthew Frawley

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