I was in the Capertee Valley yesterday 18/2/05 and saw a Square-tailed Kite (possibly the same one observed
by Carol Probets at Coco Creek on 8/2/05). The bird was on a property off Crown Station Road. It perched in a tree on a ridge and preened its breast, wings
and tail feathers for 25 minutes and then glided off down a spur pursued by a
pair of Magpies. It drifted slowly over the tree tops and out of sight near Glen Davis Road. An Owlet-nightjar called loudly and poked its head out of a
hollow of a dead tree and watched me watching the Kite.
Looked for Regents throughout the
valley but saw none, although there are still many Eucalypts in flower,
including Grey Gums and some late flowering Mugga Ironbarks on the scree slopes around the valley. Mistletoe is in flower
everywhere but not attracting much.
I did see a Turqoise
Parrot, 4 Southern Whiteface and 6 Grey-crowned Babblers north of Glen Alice.
Neil Kirby
