Hi all,
I was sitting on the back verandah yesterday arvo doing my usual daily
survey of the panorama,
watching the usual pair of Wedge tail Eagles and White Breasted Sea Eagles
soaring over the lowlands and river below me with the occasional appearance
of a B/Goshawk. There were app 40 White throated Needle-tails screaming
around the house together with tree martins and welcome swallows.
Whilst looking through them for Fork/t/swifts I saw a
small dark swift like bird coming towards me.It dropped below the horizon
and proceeded to fly lower down over the tree canopy below me. I had
exellent views of the upper parts for some 50 secs or more, they looked
black and very glossy no other marks were visible.
The tail was moderate in length square cut.On two occasions I had very
brief glimpses of the underside which appeared to be paler on the belly.
The bird rose and flew towards me at eye level and the distinctive batlike
fluuttering flight with wings held out from the body, shallow wing beats
with the occasional minute pause as though it skipped a beat,and occasional
twist identified this bird as a swiftlet.
The unusual weather conditions prevailing in
Sydney over the last few days may have driven some birds off course.
KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED.
KEITH BRANDWOOD
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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