Square-tailed Kite in Ainslie

[Philip Veerman <>]

I tried. I had not been out to look at birds for 2 weeks, having been busy and then sick for a week. So trying to ignore my flu I did the journey to North Canberra. First a short stop to look at our favourite PO in Turner (who was in the Oak tree and sleeping first, then preening), then a long very slow drive and slow stroll and several sits around that side of the base of My Ainslie (over 2 hours in total). I got my hopes up a couple of times as a Little Eagle flew over the trees. Two views were sufficiently distant to have me wondering what it was but the last views (assuming all of the same bird) were distinctly a dark morph Little Eagle.

 

Philip

 

From: Steve Holliday [
Sent: Sunday, 31 January 2016 9:43 AM
To: 'Canberra Birds'
Subject: [canberrabirds] Square-tailed Kite in Ainslie

 

About 45 minutes ago, excellent flight views of a STK over our house in Duffy St. Appeared to be a young bird without much white on the head. Could only see the underside. A harrier sized bird with buoyant flight on long upswept wings, broadest towards tip, with 6 barred primaries clearly visible. White window towards wing tips and a dark carpal crescent also present. Rufous breast and underwing coverts. Didn’t flap its wings during the minute or so that we could see it.

 

Prue got some photos, hopefully sharp enough to confirm the id, haven’t had a chance to look at them on a large screen yet. Will post if they are good enough. I have little doubt the id is correct, a bird that I have seen fairly often, particularly on the NSW south coast.

 

Last seen drifting north towards the Fisher St entrance to MT Ainslie NR (off Duffy St).

 

Very exciting!

 

Steve