hi Mike & everyone else...
i'm yet to record any WTNT's this season on the Cairns lowlands, however the
Fork-tailed's are here in BIG numbers atm...
on Sat 21/02 in late morning in clear skies (before the late afternoon storm
build-up), I had over 2000 Forkies hawking at treetop height & higher over a
2km wide area near Smithfield north of Cairns... I didn't travel any wider than
that at the time so there could have been more further afield too..
last evening (Sund 5:30-6;30pm) at home, beachfront at Trinity Beach (also
north of Cairns), there was another big flock of Forkies whizzing by & very low
down too getting at the flying ants - they were flying past me pretty close to
my balcony & at a very low altitude just below me (palm tree height & just
above) & out over the beach & water across the rd just 40mtrs from my
balcony!!! (I have a very unfortunate place to live hehehe!!!)...
there would have been at least 150 Forkies, & quite likely more further along
the coast at that time too - not that I was going anywhere else, it was quite
exciting having them at that height for a change!! there was quite a build-up
of pre-storm activity with a bit of distant lightning & thunder but no rain
fell here on Sund (or Sat evening for that matter).
(on both occasions there were plenty of local swiftlets amongst them too, but
in far lower numbers each time - prob 100 on Sat, & about 20 or so on
Sund...but no needletails seen here yet!!!).
cheers,
martin cachard,
cairns
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