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Kestrel at Parramatta Station

To: Evan Beaver <>,
Subject: Kestrel at Parramatta Station
From: brian fleming <>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 15:18:54 +1100
Evan Beaver wrote:

Don't put too much faith in the actual identification, this is more a message for interest, but it's hard to identify a bird from 25m as your train whizzes past. Saw what my best guess thinks was a Nankeen Kestrel on a light post at Parramatta Station early wednesday morning. I suppose the local pigeons would be an enticing and pretty easy meal. I'd just never associated birds of prey with City living.
Evan

--
Evan Beaver
Lapstone, Blue Mountains

Twenty years ago in Melbourne, the suburban trains used to be stabled overnight in the Flinders St railyards - now they are kept at suburban termini. As far as I can tell rubbish used to be swept out from carriages there and some at least ended up on the tracks. Nankeen Kestrels and Black-shouldered Kites used to hunt resultant rats and mice there. At one time the former Russell Street Police Building was one of the higher locations in the city - 7 or 8 stories on a hilltop, plus radio masts. The kestrels bred there before and maybe after 1960. Modern skyscrapers could give them higher lookouts but perhaps city locations don't have such supplies for prey such as rodents these days. The kestrels also took some sparrows and starlings which roosted in city parks. Inner Melbourne still has lots of foxes. They come up the drains from the Yarra.

Anthea Fleming
Ivanhoe (Vic)
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