Woodswallows

[Michael Lenz <>]

During spring 2018 we had many reports of White-browed and Masked Woodswallows passing through our area. Some flocks also decided to stay for various periods, with the max. of about 500 at the Hoskinstown Plain as Martin Butterfield reported to the chatline.

 

At some stage sightings dropped off, it seemed, only few birds had decided to stay and breed. The best known site with breeding White-browed Woodswallows was at Campbell Park. In late November and throughout December 2018 I found several sites, mainly to the East of Lake George and at Lake Bathurst, with Woodswallows apparently or confirmed nesting. However, one of the features for this season was, that numbers kept dropping (also at Campbell Park), even when birds had been seen previously nest building or already sitting on eggs. Some sites were even completely abandoned.

 

I checked the Lake George/Bathurst sites (11) yesterday: several pairs had fledglings or were feeding young in the nest. Two sites were abandoned, and numbers had fallen further at other sites.

 

Only 2 sites had included nesting Masked Woodswallows. Yesterday only 1 site had still 3 pairs of this species.

Michael Lenz