Birdpedia – Australia – Weekly Digest

The following is a digest of Sightings Reported on Birdpedia for the period Monday, January 13, 2014 to Sunday, January 19, 2014: Area: SA Location: Kangaroo Island Fork-tailed Swift (Apus pacificus) (c 350) swooping low over boat, hawking insects, soft vocalisations heard, eventually trailed away to N, flying over Investigator Strait, c 15 km N of Emu Bay, Kangaroo Island, 14 Jan 2014. Arrived in two large flocks, first one c 200 birds; second one c 150. Extremely hot, heavy cloud, stormy conditions. Reported by Snow Dennis. Reported by: Chris Baxter on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 ——————————————— Date: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 Location: On our (burnt-out) property at Rockleigh Black Kite (Milvus migrans) (12) Almost every square inch of our 40 hectare property, buildings excepted (saved by local firefighters), is now black. Almost all older trees and shrubs are burnt to some extent, but many should recover. Plantings over the last 2 years are probably lost. Lightning started the fire close to our boundary, and the fire has now burnt out 4500 hectares over a large area. We are safe. This afternoon 22 raptores circled very high overhead, reminding us of black vultures. There were at least 12 black kites (first sighting for this species) and at least some of the rest were brown falcons. Australian Pipit (Anthus australis) (1) Pipits are normally seen in grassland a long way from our shed. This pipit had no grass left, but managed to find a small unburnt spot directly behind the shed (almost our only unburnt patch) and took up residence under an Acacia, with 3 singing honeyeaters. White-plumed Honeyeater (Lichenostomus penicillatus) (1) We rarely see these, but one was fossicking in a tree in a really hot spot. Many old eucalypts with hollows are still on fire and anywhere near them is extremely hot. The best birding spot has always been in the gully on our western boundary, inaccessible to vehicles, which had a dozen huge old eucalypts till today. The fire did not spare them. Some were still on fire with hot embers or flames, lots of fallen branches, so how much will remain when the fires are at last out is anyone’s guess. Reported by: Barbara and Peter Bansemer on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 ——————————————— Date: Thursday, January 16, 2014 Location: Whicker Rd Wetland Gillman Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) (2) Two Ruff present both birds in view at same time but not on same mudbank, very wary first species to take flight if approached too closely. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (1) Seen flying low along Whicker Rd with prey (Welcome Swallow) and then plucking kill in a roadside tree. Reported by: William Brooker on Thursday, January 16, 2014 ——————————————— Date: Friday, January 17, 2014 Location: Point Sturt Peninsula Fork-tailed Swift (Apus pacificus) (50+) At least 50,some flying low (<4 metres)with tree martins and welcome swallows. reported by: nathaniel doecke on friday, january 17, 2014 --------------------------------------------- date: 2014 location: finniss-milang road banded lapwing (vanellus tricolor) (27+) flock of birds cooling off in a small pool leftover from last winter's flooding. present for the 3 days. reported saturday, 18, mount crawford forest (off airstrip road), kersbrook chestnut-rumped heathwren (hylacola pyrrhopygia) (1) heard giving single note call, not unlike sound brown-headed honeyeater, scrubby heath. bird eventually seen well as it joined some fairy-wrens by side track return trip. reported michael wood 2014 --------------------------------------------- need more information about sighting? login contact poster directly. receive sightings via email or sms immediately they are posted. member birdpedia? membership is free gives you access to over 230 countries. to sign up go birdpedia web site (http:>

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