birding-aus

Its raining swifts

To: "Baus" <>
Subject: Its raining swifts
From: "Graham Turner" <>
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2006 11:50:04 +1100
Well Needletails (if you insist) actually, but swifts sounds better.

I've seen more swifts today than I have for the last 2 or 3 years. All 
sightings around western and north western Sydney. Perfect conditions for 
finding needletails with high cloud and little breeze.

First birds were at lapstone (lower Blue Mountians) 55 km west of the CBD at 
08:45. I saw 30+ birds at various heights, some down low feeding? and others up 
high doing the swift equivalent of loafing.

I was impressed with this, my third sighing for the year, as many sightings as 
I'd had all season last year.

But I saw a shadow pass over the road at 10:00am at Baulkham Hills (26 km NW of 
CBD and 30 km from previous sigthing, as the swift flies) so I pilled over and 
here were 15+ birds feeding low in a very loose flock.

At 10: 25 I saw another 5+ birds at Carlingford (Pennant Hills road / North 
Rocks road) being only 6 km east of the previous sighting maybe it was the same 
birds, but who knows.

The next 20 were at Ermington (between Victoria Rd and the Parramatta river on 
Silverwater road) 6km south and 5 minutes later.

So its either one big flock or they are one the move.

And now back in the office at Ashfied the only things flying over are big and 
white with a red tail (at $5:15+ go you good thing!)

Cheers
Graham Turner
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