Well Michael I know where some of your swifts were over the weekend. I went
for the long weekend to 1770 (24 09 27, 151 53 03) (named because Capt Cook
landed at Bustard Bay in May 1770). The house is on the western side of
Round Hill Head overlooking the bay; it is steep so we look out on tree
tops. I have a number of sightings noted but obviously we were not looking
all the time (this was a cricket weekend) or at home all the time. I think
there were probably some around almost all the time.
26/1 from 8am to 10.15am (E Standard time no daylight saving here) at least
6 visible all the time from our verandah which looked west over the bay -
these were flying to and fro over the trees along the coast and the line of
the beach. I would have thought there were probably about 15 altogether.
This was a steamy cloudy morning with a light south easterly. There had been
a bit of rain overnight.
About midday when they were no longer visible on the western side, a few
were flying around over the top of the ridge.
27/1 It rained in the morning and I did not see any while we were fishing on
the surf beach (all fish too small)
28/1 Out all day; a few WTNT around over the creek, we got home at 5.30pm
and there were "hundreds" of Fork tailed swifts flying low over the house
and trees below it and as high as i could see with my binoculars. We could
hear them calling from inside the house. I counted 100+ several times from
the verandah but they were very speedy and it was hopeless trying to count
them. They were still around (but none so low) after sunset, as dusk fell we
could still hear calls. There were stormy looking clouds in the west and
some people over there got a little bit of rain.
29/1 we were outside about 6am and the swifts were already about and flying
low. There were "hundreds" and again as high as we could see and vanishing
higher. Both species were present and we could not agree on the proportions,
I think FTS were more numerous than WTNT. Both species were calling
constantly. When we went swimming at about 9.30 (in the calm water not the
surf) we could hear their calls overhead even though without our specs we
could not see them. They were certainly around until 11am but fewer. A calm
and very steamy day.
I have never seen so many FTS, or seen them for so long. It was amazing. And
gosh they are terrible to count!
Cheers,
Margaret
Margaret Cameron
2 Cintra Street
Eastern Heights
Queensland 4305
Australia
07 3282 9151
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