Standing in a backyard four blocks from Wagga’s CBD at 10AM on 27 January I watched a Pacific Swift describe a slow undulating flight through
the adjacent yard, about two metres above the ground and some 15 metres from where I stood. ‘Just idling along’ would be another apt description of its flight. As it approached a three-metre high fence it jinked up and over, disappearing from view.
But the lady inclined to embonpoint hadn’t sung, so the show wasn’t over. Ten seconds later the bird reappeared following the same track as
before, and executed two more passes as I stood entranced by virtual ringside views of this wonderfully wild and free ranging creature. Then, after watching it clear the high fence for a fourth time, it came no more. And yes, it might have been a different
individual each or some of the time. But, for what it’s worth, I had the instinctive feeling I was watching the same individual.
I assume a swarm of insects had attracted the bird(s), but couldn’t discern any and, despite scanning the skies for a further five minutes,
saw no more swifts.
John Layton
Holt.
