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Are WTNT's headed to Tasmania today?

To: Birding Aus <>
Subject: Are WTNT's headed to Tasmania today?
From: Michael Tarburton <>
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:42:37 +1100
G'day B-A list readers

It is nice to see a wide geographic spread of White-throated Needletail sightings over the last fortnight, however I have been aware of very few sightings from Tassie in the last few years. Is it that the numbers have fallen so much that they do not need to travel as far as Tassie any more to find sufficient food to make the trip back to Siberia?. It appears they probably used to divert from the Gippsland forests south to Wilsons Promontory and on to Tasmania. Ray Marston who lives at Boolarra between Morwell and Wilsons Promontory used to have 1-2000 birds pass over to the South each year up to 1995. It is thought these were heading to Tasmania but since then less than 50 birds has been the norm with only ten and two making to the South over his place in the last two seasons. The forests around his area have not changed significantly in the last 20 years.

If they are still going to Tasmania in numbers but no one is seeing them then maybe now is a good time to look for them as I saw two flocks today over Bunyip SP (E of Gembrook which is E of Melbourne). There were 200+ and 40+ in the two flocks and they were heading South. They were using the Southerly wind to spiral upwards and then flew directly South. I have seen this before at the same place (albeit at lower altitudes) and traced them to the southern hills in Bunyip Park, but today they were not there, they over-flew that area and I think Wilsons Prom and Tassie are likely destinations for those birds.

So please keep an eye out if you are down there and let me know how many and where you see them.

Happy swift watching

Mike
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Michael Tarburton




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