A slight distraction: Fork Tailed Swifts
I have been slightly distracted today. A series of thunderstorms and a cooler weather front have been moving through South Australia this morning. Yesterday we had a foul day; 40 degree heat with wild wind blowing dust from the dry north. Today is slightly better with cooler air forecast for later in the day.
The distraction comes from the possibility of seeing swifts. I have only ever seen swifts on a handful of occasions and only once here at home in Murray Bridge. The reason for my excitement is that there have been numerous reports of Fork Tailed Swifts over various suburbs of Adelaide, 80km to the west. The storm front is moving in our direction.
Swifts are often associated with and follow storm movements. There is usually greater insect activity at these times and that attracts the swifts. The first time I saw a group of Fork Tailed Swifts they were swooping low and fast over a pasture in the south east of South Australia. I was amazed at both their size (wingspan about 40cm) and their speed. They are indeed, swift.
The good news – the cooler air has arrived.
The bad news – no swift sightings yet.
Even worse news – only a few drops of rain.
The drought continues.
Bird Word: Collar
Collar: a contrasting coloured band of feathers on the neck of a bird.
The collar, neck and nape of a bird can refer to basically the same part of the bird’s body, just below the crown or top of the head and just above the back. Some species of birds have a distinctive band or collar of contrasting coloured feathers in this area, and this helps with identification.
Some birds even have a reference to this collar in their name and this helps to categorise the bird in the observer’s mind. Some examples are:
- Collared Sparrowhawk
- Collared Kingfisher
- Red-Collared Lorikeet (a subspecies of the Rainbow Lorikeet)
- Red-Necked Avocet
- White-Naped Honeyeater
For more in this series of articles check out the Glossary of Bird Words here.
Collared Sparrowhawk
Bird Word: Casual
Casual: a bird that has been observed outside its normal range.
I am convinced that most bird species do not read the Field Guides. They do not observe where they are supposed to be. They wander off the beaten track. They get lost. Or they decide to have a sea-change or a tree-change.
Whatever.
One thing is certain; many species can be observed from time to time way outside their normal range, where they are usually found. The Striped Honeyeater is a case in point. It is a bird mainly of the inland, in drier woodland scrubs, mallee associations and mulga.
The Striped Honeyeater has visited our garden on a number of occasions. It even nested quite close to our house. This record is the most south westerly occurence of this species. It cannot be classed as resident in this area as it only visits every few years. Its appearance here is classed as “casual.” One has to travel 50 – 100 km NE to observe it in its normal range.
The Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater (shown below) is another bird of the drier parts of Australia.
For more articles in this series check out the Glossary of Bird Words here.
Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater
Bird Word: Cap
- Cap: a patch of colour on the top of the head or the crown of a bird.
Some Australian birds have a distinctive cap on the crown of their head. In some cases this helps greatly in identifying the species, and in others it lends itself to the common name of the bird.
Here are some examples:
- Red-Capped Robin
- Red-Capped Plover
- Plum-Capped Finch (more commonly called the Plum-Headed Finch)
In other cases it is not the word “cap” that is used, but the alternative word “crown.” Here are some examples:
- Purple-Crowned Lorikeet
- Chestnut-Crowned Babbler
- Grey-Crowned Babbler
- Purple-Crowned Fairy-Wren
Look carefully at the head of the bird you are trying to identify. It can be very useful and even diagnostic.
For more in this series of articles check out the Glossary of Bird Words here.
Red Capped Robin
Birding in the Blue Mountains
No Comments »13th November, 2006; Category: General
We have a growing number of excellent birding web sites in Australia. Many of them show off photos of the wonderful array of birds found in this country. Others are dedicated to regions and the birds of that area.
A new site that has recently appeared is called Birding in the greater Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are about an hour’s drive west of Sydney and contain many wonderful birding spots. If you are planning a visit to this region this site would be an excellent starting point in your planning stages.
Link:
- Birding in the Greater Blue Mountains in NSW Australia.