As I am close to doing a stats check on this species to ascertain if
it has declined in the last 40 - 100 years, I am publishing a
preliminary report to stimulate a few more people into sending in
their unpublished sightings to me preferably directly - then I will
do a final report in a months time.
White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus) Preliminary Report
for 2009/10 Season.
The 704 records I have obtained so far are 177 more than the previous
season. Thank you so much for making & sharing these records.
The first Australian sighting that I know of, was made on 18 Sept
2009, in NSW and is 24 days earlier than the first reported sighting
for last season, and is more like the average timing in previous
years. It was of 25 birds seen at Bundjalung NP (S of Evan Head) by
Bob Moffatt. Bob saw another one there the following day then
Michael Cheers saw four at Sawtell on 27 Sept.
The first record from Qld was from “Tiddalac” Upper Lockyer, where
Mick Atzeni saw 25 on 3 Oct. The first group observed in Victoria
was of four birds seen at Genoa (4 Nov) by Nick Day & Andrew
Weggoner. The first reported observation from ACT was of 1 bird on
8th December, seen by Peter Miller at Hackett. The first SA record
was made at Millicent where Adrian Boyle’s parents saw 15 birds 31
Jan. The first record for Tasmania was made by Eric Woehler at Baker
Beach (somewhere on the Central N coast), where 15 birds were seen on
18 Feb.
There were no reported records from the NT or WA last season. There
were 3 records from TAS, 1 from SA, 7 from ACT, 185 from Qld, 154
from Vic, & 348 from NSW.
This season there were four sightings of a thousand or more birds.
Three were in NSW made by Martin Chard, Ian Kerr & Bob Moffatt. One
was in Qld, made by Tom Tarrant. There were 14 sightings of 300 or
more birds: 7 from Qld, 5 from NSW, and 2 from Vic.
These flock sizes are low compared with the records for say the
1957/58 season when nine flocks of more than a thousand birds were
recorded. Four of those came from Tasmania. The largest flock
recorded that season was 12,000 WTNT, and was seen at Antill Ponds in
Tasmania.
The average flock size this season was 48 compared to 37 for last year.
Thanks again to all those who have taken the trouble to send me or
report your sightings. Here is the alphabetically arranged list of
contributors with their number of reported sightings in brackets:
Peter Abbott (1), D Adams (1), Irene Allen (34), Robert Allen (2),
John Allsop (3), Chris Armstrong (2), Michael Atzeni (15), Jacquie &
Len Axen (6), Chris Barnes, (2), Peter Barrand (1), Tim Bawden (6),
Ron Becker (3), Wilma Becker (22), Liz Benson (1), Tim Birch (1),
Blue Mtns Bird Observers (1), Greg Bortolussi (2), Adrian Boyle (1),
Shane Brady (2), D Bright (1), Ian & Jill Brown (1), Warren Brown
(3), Celia Browne (3), Ray Bryant (2), Lynda Bullen (2), Steve Burke
(1), Martin Butterfield (1), Martin Cachard (1), Jim Caine (1),
Margaret Cameron (2), Nev Capell (1), John Carpenter (1), Michael
Cheers (2), Greg Clancy (12), Steve Clark (1), Debbie Colbourne (3),
Henry Coleman (2), Bob Cook (1), Barbara Crighton (1), Peter Crow
(1), Ben Darlow (1), Steve Davidson (7), Arron Davies (1), Nick Day
(1), James Dening (2), Jill Denning (3), Paul & Ruth Dodd (3), Tim
Dolby (2), Sean Dooley (4), Robert Dougherty (11), Paul Doyle (2),
Tony Eales (1), Jan England (2), Len Ezzy (1), Far South Coast
Birdwatchers (2), Rob Farnes (1), Mrs Alex Ferguson (2), L Field (1),
Eric Finley (4), Trevor Ford (2), Dougald Frederick (1), Col Gibson
(1), Tony Gibson (1), Matt & Cathy Gilfedder (29), Alan Gillanders
(2), Jason Goodwin (2), Mark Graham (3), Chris Gregory (1), Phil
Gregory (6), Brian Hawkins (1), Chris Healey (8), Frank Hemmings (3),
Liz Herbert (1), Peter Higgins (27), Peter Horler (6), Matt Hughes
(2), Michael Hunter (3), John Huchison (1), Carla Jackett (2), Gavin
Jackson (3), Paul Jackson (1), T Jarman (1), Dick Jenkin (4), Andy
Jensen (10), Barbara Jones (3), D Jones (1), Richard Johnston (3),
Ian Kerr (2), Neil Kirby (1), David Kleinert (1), Laurie Knight (7),
John & Claire Kooistra (4), Russ Lamb (11), D Lambert (1), John
Leonard (1), Paul Lester (1), Mark Ley (1), Greg Little (1), Noel
Longergan (1), Doug Lyons (2), Ian McAllan (1), Alan McBride (9),
Steve McBride (1), Pat McConnell (1), Roger McGovern (1), David
Mackenzie (1), Barry McLean (1), John McLennan (1), Max Markey (4),
Ray Marston (4), Adrian Martins (1), Lee Mason (4), Clive Meadows
(4), Lorna Mee (1), Rosalie Merigan (13), Maria Merkling (4), Peter
Miller (1), Bob Moffatt (11), Bill Moorhead (3), Bill & Jack Moorhead
(10), Alan Morris (3), Rob Morris (1), Colin Mulvogue (1), Troy
Mutton (3), RG Nathan (8), Julie Neumann (1), Terrill Nordstrom (2),
Paul Osborne (15), Des Palmer (2), Phil Penlington (5), Harvey
Perkins (1), Stuart Pickering (4), Margaret Pointer (1), Carol
Probets (10), Trevor Quested (3), Michael Ramsey (10), John
Rawsthorne (2), David Redhead (1), J Reed (2), Colin Reid (6), John
Reidy (2), Mick Roderick (16), Steve Roderick (1), Chris Ross (3),
Chris Sanderson (1), G Santos (1), Colin Scouler (1), Merrilyn Serong
(1), Ken Sherring (2), S Skelton (1), Jim Smart (9), Dennis Smith
(1), Nicole Spillane (1), Jenny Spry (1), Mark Stanley (1), Matthew
Stanton (6), Simon Starr (1), David Stowe (1), Wes & Norma Sturdee
(1), Michael Tarburton (58), Tom Tarrant (3), Andrew Taylor (1),
Warren Thompson (1), Dirk & Wulan Tomsa (2), Dave Torr, (3), Brian
Tuney (22), Suzanne Tunks (1), Graham Turner (10), Edwin Vella (3),
Brian Venables (1), D Waldon (4), K Waldon (1), Trevor Waller (1),
Andrew Weggoner (1), Tom Wilson (3), Eric Woehler (1), Michael Wood
(1), Russell Woodford (3), Arwen Ximenes (3), Harry Zawacki (1),
Marnix Zwankhuizen (1),
Happy swift watching.
Mike Tarburton.
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Michael Tarburton
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