So Michael, you mentioned in the report that some people have been sending
reports using "lots", etc, rather than quantifying the numbers. Maybe it
would help if you could send out a template for observers to fill in? Eg:
Site name,GPS coordinates, weather, wind, temperature, count, estimate,
area the flock dispersed over, etc? For example, myself and Ashwin
Rudder's sighting in the Hunter, where we counted 50 or so, but the flock
was spread over 10kms, which implied a huge count. Essentially, what data
(other than exact numbers) is most helpful to the study?
Cheers
Joshua Bergmark
On Monday, 2 September 2013, Prof Michael Tarburton wrote:
>
> *White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus**) Report for 2012/13
> Season.*
>
> Your records for the past season indicate that the weird extremes of
> weather did correlate with unusual swift behaviour. Needletails arrived
> in Victoria about their usual date and many were seen December to February,
> but the extreme heat and dryness of Vic. appears to have reduced their
> numbers, with more clumped sightings in part of the Hunter Valley and
> closer to Brisbane, during March and April. This behaviour nearly doubled
> the number of sightings from Qld compared to last year. This same weather
> produced more FTS sightings in Victoria than has been normal over recent
> years.
>
> The 1,686 records I have obtained or that have been sent to me so far
> are 386 more than received for the previous season. Thank you so much
> for the extra effort in making & sharing these records.
>
> The first needletail record was of 3 birds at Cabramatta (NSW) on
> 20.9.2012 seen by Mark Cachia. There had been an undefined sighting
> sometime in August from Qld and only one other September sighting also in
> Qld.
>
> The first report from Victoria was of 5 birds seen on 16th Oct. by Ron
> Becker a veteran swift observer from Maramingo.
>
> There were 2 (0 last year) reports from the NT this season. There was 1
> (5 last year) record from WA, 3 (9) records from SA, 39 (29) from ACT, 11
> (21) from TAS, 436 (217) from Qld, 343 (327) from Vic, & 876 (714) from
> NSW.
>
> The WA record was not at Cocos or Christmas (as they were last year) but
> near Cape Naturalist in the SW of WA. This is a most unusual sighting,
> but was made by Des Palmer an observer from Vic. and experienced with
> both species. The sighting was on 4th April indicating that the early
> exodus from Vic. did not take all birds through NSW to Qld.
>
> With needletails clumping more than is usual in NSW & Qld three flocks
> of 2,000 birds were recorded compared to last years one. There were
> seven sightings of a thousand or more birds. Sadly there were also too many
> reports of “lots” “many” “huge flocks” and we will never know how big
> these flocks were. One of the “lots” was reported from Yorkeys Knob Rd, Qld
> 10th June by Luke Jackson. So the unseasonal weather was still
> influencing unusual behaviour in Australia in Winter. One needletail was
> so upset by our weather that it went to Britain, to the Isle of Harris,
> where many jubilant birders saw it 25th June. Even more saw it the
> following day as observers came from all over the UK to see such a rare
> bird for those parts. Then some of them saw it fly into the only wind
> turbine on the island and they picked it up dead. So, do we blame the
> turbine or the really hot & dry Australian summer?
>
> The average flock size this season was 41 compared to 40 for last year &
> 44 for the year before. All figures are lower than the mean of 52 for
> the last decade. So not even the clumping caused by the extrememly hot
> dry weather in southern and central Australia, was able to raise the mean
> flock size by more than one.
>
> Once again the top recorder for the season was Irene Allan, making 121
> sightings., Len & Jacquie Axen saw 45 flocks, Paul Jones 40, Andy Jensen 37
> , Peter Alexander 36, Allan Morris 35, Ross Smith 30, Tim Morris 29, Tom
> Wilson 29, Mike Tarburton 29, Dave Flumm 27, Mick Roderick, 27, Phil
> Gilmour 26 Liz Hawkins 26, Bas Hensen 23, Julie Sarna 22, Matthew
> Stanton 17, Rod Gardner 17, & Michael Ramsey 13.
>
> Thanks again to all those who have taken the trouble to send me your
> sightings. It does not matter whether you sent in 1 report or more than
> 100, they are all useful in helping determine the WTNT population status
> and defining other aspects of their behaviour.
>
> Contributing Observers: (# of observations for this season given in
> brackets).
>
> ABBOTT, Carol (2), ABBOTT, Peter (1), ABBOTTS, Sue (2), ACTON, Marlene
> (2), ADAMS, D. (10), ADAMS, Jack (1), AIREY, Jackson (1), ALCORN, Richard &
> Margaret (1), ALEXANDER, Peter (36), ALLAN, Irene (121), ALLAN, Robert
> (8), ALLSOP, John (9), ALTING, Therese (2), ANDERSON, Bill (3), ANDERSON,
> Craig (3), ANTRAM, Frank (1), ARMSTRONG, Chris. (8), ASHTON, Tony (2),
> ATZENI, Mick (2), AVERY, John (2), AXEN, Jacquie & Len (45), AYRE, Gavin
> (1), BAKER, George & Teresa (2), BAKER, Scott (1), BARNES, Chris (4),
> BARTRAM, Kevin (1), BAWDEN, Tim (1), BAXTER, Richard (1), BECKER, Freddie
> (1), BECKER, Ron (10), BELLING, Neil (2), BENNETT, Mark (7), BENSON, Allan,
> (2), BERGMARK, Joshua (3), BILNEY, Rohan (1), BIRKHEAD, Joseph (1), BLQ
> (2), BLSQ (13), BOEKEL, Con. (1), BOYD, Glenn (2), BQ (5), BRANDWOOD, Keith
> (3), BRECKENRIDGE, Max (5), BROOKS, Paul (1), BROSIE, Grant (8), BROWN, Ian
> & Jill (2), BROWN, Warren (2), BRUCE, Niel (7), Brunswick Valley
> Birdwatchers (1), BULLEN, Lyn (1), BULTRYS, Enoch (3), BUNCE, Ian (1),
> BURCHER, Paul & Jacqueline (4), BURROWS, Todd (3), BUTLER, Jim (3),
> BUTTERFIELD, Martin (6), CACHARD, Martin (2), CACHIA, Mark (1), CAMERON,
> Margaret, (7), CAREW, Arthur (1), CARPENTER, Carole & John (6), CARSON,
> Nick (1), CHARLEY, David (2), CHICKSEN, Mal (5), CLANCEY, Greg (5), CLARK,
> David (2), CLARK, Rae (2), CLARKE, Rohan (1), CLAYTON, Simon (1), CLOG, Jan
> (7), COCKERELL, John (5), COMER, Ray (1), COOK, Bob (1), CORBETT, Larry &
> Chris (3), CORKE, David (1), CORMACK, Will (1), CRAWFORD, Liz (13),
> CROSLAND, Michael (1), CURSON, Clive (1), D. Christine (1), DAVIDSON,
> Steven (13), DAVIES, Aaron (1), DAVIES, Ian (1), DAWE, Tony & Stephanie
> (1), de KLERK, Paddy (1), DEAN, Barry (1), DENING, Jill (1), DENNETT, Xenia
> (2), DICK, Adrian (1), DOECKE, Nathan (2), DOLBY, Tim (1), DOOLEY, Sean
> (1), DOUGHERTY, Robert (1), DRAKE, Alistair & Carmen (2), DUKE, Steve &
> Judi (6), EARL, Hedley & Irena (2), EDVARDSSON, Martin (1), EGGINS, Darryl
> (4), EGGINS, Gary (1), ENGEL, Deryk & Paul (3), EVANS, Andrew (7), EWIN,
> John & Denise (1), EZZY, Len & Chris (2), FARIAS, Alex (1), FARIS, James
> (2), FARNES, R. (1) Fasssifern Field Nats (2), FAULKNER, Tim (1), FERGUSON,
> Patricia (1), FINLEY, Eric (1), FISHER, Keith & Lindsay (13), FLUMM, Dave
> (27), FORD, Stewart (1), FRASER, Ian. (1), FRAZER, Ed. (1), FRENCH, John
> (1), FRISWELL, Neil (1), FULLER, Mark (2), FUNNELL, Dominic (1), GALLIENNE,
> Sandra (11), GARDNER, Rod (17), GARDNER, John (3), GIBSON, Tony (3), GILL,
> Norton (1), GILLANDERS, Alan (8), GILLER, Roger (1), GILMOUR, Phil (26),
> GOODYEAR, Gavin (10), GORTA, Simon (10), GOTLEY, W & J (2), GRAHAM, Bill
> (3), GREGORY, Beth (1), GREGORY, Chris (2), GREGORY, Phil (1), GROSS, Steve
> (3), HAASS, Nikolas & Raja (2), HALL, Beth (1), HALL, Lachlan (3), HARMAN,
> Brett (1), HARMS, Benjamin (1), HARRIS, John (2), HARTSHORN, Angus (2),
> HAVENS, Maria (1), HAWKINS, Liz (26), HAYNE, Curtis (4), HAYWOOD, B & T.
> (2), HEALEY, Chris (7), HEFERNAN, R. (3), HEMPSTEAD, Janice (1), HENSEN,
> Bastiaan (23), HENSHAW, Jono (2), HERBERT, Kim (1), HERBERT, Chris (2),
> HERRINGTON, Doug (5), HEYWOOD, Jan (1), HIGGINS, Peter (1), HILL, Rachel
> (1), HINGSTON, Andrew (1), HOBCROFT, Dion (1), HOLLAND, Jack (1), HOLLIDAY,
> Steve (1), HORLER, Peter (8), HOSKEN, Lesley (1), HOSKING, Peter (1),
> HOUSSENLODGE, John (1), HOUTON, Dave (2), HUNTER, Michael (1), ILES, Carol
> (2), IRETON, Tania (1), JACKETT, Carla (3), JACKSON, Luke (1), JAMES, David
> (6), JAMES, Max (4), JENKIN, Dick (4), JENSEN, Andy (37), JOHNSTON, Lorne
> (1), JOHNSTON, Matt. (1), JOHNSTONE, Richard (4), JOLLY, William (3),
> JONES, Barbara (3), JONES, David (1), JONES, Paul (40), JOYCE, R. (1),
> KATON, Anthony & Vicki (2), KEATES, Sheryl (1), KELLY, Damian (1), KING,
> Des (1), KNIGHT, Laurie (6), KUHL, Mike (3), KYNE, Peter (1), L. Ian (1),
> LAMB, Russel (3), LAMBERT, D. (1), LARMOUR, Kim & Geoff (7), LASHKO, Sue
> (2), LATTAWAY, Jude (9), LAWS, Peter (1), LAYTON, John K. (4), LEE, Sue
> (7), LEITCH, Judy (3), LEONARD, John (7), LEWIS, George (3), LEY, Mark (4),
> LINDSAY, Kurtis (2), LINKLATER, Bernard (1), LISHMUND, Owen (2), LITTLE,
> Greg (3), LOFGREN, Oskar (1), LONERGAN, Noel (3), LUMNITZER, Ákos (6),
> LYELL, Marlene (1), MACKNIGHT, M. (1), MADVIG, Peter (2), MARTINEZ, Chris
> (1), MASON, Lee (1), MASON, Melissa (2), MASTERS, Gavin (13), McBRIDE,
> Steve (6), McCONNELL, Pat (2), McKELLAR, Tim (2), McKENZIE, Kim (6),
> McLACHLAN, Greg (6), McLENNAN, John (1), McNABB, Ed (2), McNAGTEN, Michael
> (1), McRITCHIE, Bernie (3), MANTLE, Daniel (1), MERIGAN, Rosalie (1),
> MIHARA, S. (1), MILLER, Richard (6), MINCHIN, Lisa (1), MITFORD, David (5),
> MOFFATT, Bob (2), MORICE, Geoffrey (1), MORRIS, Allan (35), MORRIS, Tim
> (29), MORRISON, N & J (7), MOSES, Kim (1), MULHOLLAND, Ross (1), MULLANEY,
> Matt (6), MURPHY, Fran (3), MURRAY, Steve (9), MUTTON, Troy (3), NEILL,
> Greg (2), NEWMAN, Mike (4), NICKHOLDS, Tim (1), NILAND, David (2), NORMAN,
> Sean (2), NORRIS Ken (4), NORRIS, Michael (1), O’BRIAN, Danny (1),
> O’DONNELL, Kath (1), O’MALLEY, Pat (3), OSBORN, Paul (6), OXENHAM, Katie
> (1), PACEY, Glen (1), PALMER, Des (3), PAYET, Rosemary (6), Pearson, John
> (1), PEEL, Philip (1), PENDAVINGH, Daniel (1), PENLINGTON, Phil. (2),
> PERKINS, Harvey (3), PERRIN, Christian (2), PICKERING, Stuart (2), PIERCE,
> Ed. (1), PILAT, Gosia (1), PITT, Andrew (1), PORT, Christina (3), POTTER,
> Martin & Penny (1), PRESTON, Ivor (1), PRICE, Robyn (4), PROWSE, Owen (1),
> RAMSEY. Michael (13), RAWSTHORNE, John (4), REED, J. (1), REID, Colin (3),
> REIFENSTEIN, Jacqueline (1), RICHARDSON, Allan (5), RIJZ Matt. (5), RIJZ,
> Vanessa (1), ROBERTS, Greg (1), ROBERTS, Harry (1), ROBINO, Janet (1),
> RODERICK, Mick (27) RODERICK, Steve (4), ROGERS, Colin (1), ROLLAND, Vivien
> (3), Romane, S. (1), RONAN, Michael (1), ROPER, Brian (1), ROPER, Marion
> (7), Rose, Allan & Sandy (1), ROSS, Chris (7), ROUNSEVELL, Darin (1),
> RUDDER, Ashwin (5), RYAN, Bebecca (1), RYAN, Scott (1), SANDERSON, Chris
> (1), SARNA, Julie (22), SAWYER, Peter (3), SAWYER, Ron (1), SEMMENS, Bob
> (4), SEQ Banding Grp (3), SHEEAN, Brendan (1), SHELLEY, Luke (3), SHELLEY,
> Neil (1), SHELLEY, Paul (1), SHERRING, Ken (5), SHURCLIFF, Kath (2),
> SIMKUS, Elizabeth (8), SMALLS, Matthew (1), SMART, Jim (6), SMITH, Alastair
> (3), SMITH Graham & Brenda (3), SMITH, Rob (1), SMITH, Ross (30), SPRY,
> Jenny (3), STAFFORD, Andrew (1), STANTON, Matthew (17), STARR, Simon (2),
> STEPHENSON, Mathew (2), STEWART, David (3), STILES, Jenny (15), STOWE,
> David (1), STUART, Alan (7), STUART, Dave (1), SUTCLIFFE, M. (1), SZUCS,
> Lorand (2), TALBOT, Nicholas (2), TARBURTON, Mike (29), TARRANT, Marie (5),
> TARRANT, Tom (3), TAYLOR, Andrew (2), TEH, Julian (1), THOMPSON, Sue (1),
> THOMPSON, Warren (1), TIERNEY, Peter (2), TIMEWELL, Chris &(1), TORR, Dave
> (2), TRANTER, Ged (2), TYNAN, Brian (2), VALENTINE, Peter (1), VANDERDUYS,
> Eric (1), VEERMAN, Philip (2), VELLA, Edwin (2), WALDON, D. (2), WALKER,
> Robin (2), WALLACE, Darren (1), WALLACE, Rowena (2), WALLIS, C. (4),
> WALMSLEY, Ben (3), WALSH, Stephen (3), WARE, Peter (1), WATSON, Christopher
> (1), WEEKS, Matt. (2), WEIGEL, John (2), WELLER, Dan (1), WELLS, Dezmond
> (1), WHARTON, Joan (3), WHELAN, David (1), WHITFIELD, Dave (1), WHITING,
> Jack (8), WHYLIE, rook (1), WICKER, Falk (1), WILK, Kathy & Peter (11),
> WILLIAMS, Dan (9), WILLIAMS, Roger (1), WILSON, Tom (29), WNOROWSKI, Ted
> (3), WOEHLER, Eric (1), WOHLMUTH, Hans (5), WOOD, Michael (14), WOOD,
> Paul (1), WRIGHT, Ian & Meryl (2), XIMENES, Arwen (3), YOUNG, Mark (4),
> ZANETTI, Carmen (DRAKE) (1), ZILLMANN, Eric (2),
>
> Cheers & Happy swift watching
>
> Mike Tarburton
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> Email sent using Optus Webmail
>
> ------------------------------
> Email sent using Optus Webmail
>
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