A further dimension to the discussion of Harriers in the Pitt Town area.
Myself, Bruce Roubin and Ken (?surname?) spent the day around Windsor area on
Monday this week and watched a harrier quartering over the eastern dried up end
of Bushell's Lagoon mid-afternoon. I spent quite a bit of time watching the
bird through the scope while it quartered the fields, including watching it
perched on a fence post, where it coughed up a pellet!. It was a perplexing mix
of characteristics;
Buff rump like juv. Swamp Harrier
Pale off-white underbody like old male Swamp
Primaries all black (not barred) like Spotted. But also like juv Swamp.
Buff patches on the forewing like Juv Spotted.
It was also very light and graceful in flight.
Most intriguing feature though was the head. It looked 'hooded'. Dark marks
much further down the neck than the typical harrier facial disk.
Having not encountered a bird like this before, I consulted Debus who shows a
Spotted Harrier plumage listed as 'Dark hooded 1st immature (in post-juvenile
moult)'.
This seemed to fit the bird we saw, so my tentative conclusion is that we were
watching an immature Spotted. But not perhaps the one Evan was watching, as
his had a 'bold rusty brown underbody' whereas our bird had a very pale body.
And our bird had a clearly buff rump, not white at all.
There were 45 - 50 Glossy Ibis at Pitt Town, the Ruff was located at the
Eastern end with the Sharpies, but no Marsh / Wodd Sandpipers or Native Hen.
Whistling Kite and immature Sea Eagle overhead. At Freemans Reach, two
White-browed Woodswallows seen feeding a single nestling 3m up a gum tree in a
fork.
Also two Banded lapwing in the usual place at the Turf Farm on Cornwallis road.
Matthew Taylor
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