Birders in other parts of Australia must think
there's something in the water up here for the number of bizarre, and apparently
unsupported claims that have been made in the past few days.
The most outlandish is Judith's second-hand report
of Flock Bronzewings passing annually over Mt Mee in the state's south-east from
1998 to 2004. Judith, if this claim has any merit I will personally walk
backwards to Birdsville, where hopefully I will finally see one. I can't say
what I think they are, because if the observer noted that they fly in an "eerie
silence", they obviously aren't pigeons.
The report of an Australian Bustard near Caboolture
is marginally less unlikely - a bird lobbed into Lytton in Brisbane's bayside
some years back - but such discoveries should be reported immediately with
supporting details, not published uncritically in a newsletter after the
fact.
I can think of a more likely candidate than a Grey
Goshawk at Yowah in the state's south-west also.
Andrew
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