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Bob Forsyth wrote:
Nearer home yesterday, on the western
shores of Lake Moondarra, with Bill & Del Saunders of Port Macquarie,
we watched a pair of Black Falcons for 1/2 hour.As we got to
about 80m they would glide away and land again on the grass. But the scope
confirmed the species. This was my first sighting of this species near Mount
Isa,.
Hi Bob
When I was in the Broken Hill area in far
north-western NSW a few years ago, I had a group of 3 Black Falcons on the
ground (which I also saw at that same spot 2 days before) and was
amazed how close I got to them within 15 metres or so (and even more closer
while in the car). If I got too close they wouldn't fly too far away on their
slightly down curved and relatively broad but pointed wings and quite
long tail (appearing all dark and uniform). I also got close to one of the Black
Falcons last year at the East Maitland tip as it perched for over an
hour on a antennae. But despite being this close, they have got to be
watched in flight, typically seen slowly circling over the area (at times
Raven like) than picking up with amazing speed when pursuing prey with wings
held or slightly drooped (different to any other falcon in Australia).
At least one of the Black Falcons sean at the East
Maitland Tip in NSW (there could be an adult pair and a juv. bird hanging
about) appears to be a fairly young (juv./Imm.) bird with lack of any visible
facial and cheek markings (and is quite a dark bird).
Edwin Vella
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