|
Shortly after the band of thunderstorms passed over
Cook at lunchtime, the sun shone forth and almost immediately the Pied
Currawongs began "whooping", which in this weather usually means the flying ants
are emerging. Sure enough a horde of currawongs, Red Wattlebirds and Noisy
Friarbirds were conducting acrobatics over a cluster of ant nests and continued
the feast for several hours.
At about 4.30 a flock of c. 100 woodswallows went
chirping overhead but were too high to determine species. While I was watching
them several Starlings (which we almost never see here) were hawking lower down
for flying bugs (ants or others). Then I noticed a Nankeen Kestrel hovering and
snatching something in the air. I thought a flying ant wouldn't be worth the
effort for a kestrel so maybe there were other flying bugs. Then, even more
surprisingly, a Brown Falcon came through and with almost the same hovering
motions as the kestrel plucked insects from the air.
cheers
Nicki Taws
02 6251 0303
0408 210
736
| 