White-throated Needletail Sightings NE NSW (and SE Qld)

Mike and others.

Just back from a long belated family Christmas trip from coastal NSW and Brisbane area. Covered a lot of keys and did a bit of birdwatching so saw a number of groups of Needletails. Most were seen from vehicles (mostly on main roads where the speed limit was 100km/h) so numbers are very approximate (probably most are parts of bigger groups) and usually just above tree canopy height (can see much higher while driving).

Happy to provide coordinates of any that are needed:

7/1 – 3 seen either side of the Old Windsor Road junction on the M7 Motorway (Seven Hills) around 14:00 – weather hot and some clouds, but not rainy

9/1 – 2 seen traveling north east above Blackbutt Avenue, Pennant Hills around 08:00 – clooudy and humid but no rain

None seen while driving up the Pacific Highway with a 2 day stop in Coffs Harbour (usually a good number in this area)

16/1- 50-100 (probably closer to the latter) seen distantly from Philip Parade in South Tweed Heads (probably in West Tweed Heads) 10:00 – low over houses over extended area – warm and cloudy but no rain

20/1 – 20 flying very low (to within a metre of the water) at Kedron Brook near Nudgee Beach round 12:00 Qld time (present for about 40 minutes) – warm and sunny

21/1 – 200+ Flying at power pole height along Numinbah Road Kynnumboon (north west of Murwillumbah) over cane fields at 07:45. This was the largest flock I saw and it was possibly part of the same flock that I saw in South Murwillumbah for the next 45 minutes or so. Weather was cloudy and had been raining previously.

22/1 – 1 at the same spot at Kynnumboon around 08:00. Storms previous evening and heavy cloud

22/1 – About 20 over Old Pacific Highway at Yelgun (near North Byron Parklands) around 12:00 – weather clearing but warm

24/1 – 2 or 3 over Fairymount Creek south of Kyogle on the Summerland Way around 09:45 – warm and clear

25/1 – About 20 just over tree top height about 12km north of Gilgandra on the Newell Highway around 13:00 – weather very hot.

I didn’t find any definite Pacific Swifts the only possible sighting was 3 birds possibly this species just at treetop height at Borah Creek on the Oxley Highway at Rocky Glen around 11:30 on 25/1. The last bird seemed to have a white rump and forked tail, but I just got a glimpse and they did look small. I only include in case you got any other records around that locality (not a definite view and I haven’t included on my annual list!).

Hope these help – let me know if you need any further details.

Cheers,

Peter