Swift Parrots!

So in between the two Swift Parrot surveys, I did actually manage to catch up with some Swifties.

Each winter there's usually a group that turn up and hang out somewhere long enough for birders to go and visit them. This year that spot seemed to Truganina Park in Altona when large flocks of 20-40 birds started being reported there in late June. (This is on the other side of the city, well outside my 5MR.)

I've been birding at the park quite a few times before so knew the area where they'd been reported. As expected, a few other birders were also looking for the parrots when I arrived late in the afternoon on the last day of June.

At first I saw some of them perched high on bare branches over the trees, but the other birders motioned to me that actually there were more in the leafy branches just around me.

They were feeding on lerps I think, very busy in the foliage, when they weren't just perching around or darting about in flight.

It was a pretty overcast day so my photos aren't amazing, especially those against the sky.

But that's ok, I got to see the Swift Parrots again this year. These guys will probably be back in Tasmania by now, or well on their way. They are critically endangered, but hopefully they will have a good breeding season and we will still have them visiting us for many winters to come.

See you next year!

Swift Parrot Surveys - Part 2

At the start of August I headed back to Yarra Bend Park for the second part of the Swift Parrot survey. This time my mum came along. I was still not that optimistic about finding any Swift Parrots here but thanks to an eBird list posted just a few days before I was closing in on those 5MR Scarlet Robins!

it was that time of the year when all the wattle had just come out

We started at Studley Park, near the boathouse, and before we'd only just made it out of the car park we were approached by a local out for this morning walk who had seen our binoculars. He had many bird questions. As we were both heading the same direction he asked to accompany us along the river and we ended up giving an impromptu bird tour for the first part of our walk. He seemed interested but also a bit confused by the whole birding thing. At one point he had to answer a call to tell someone he'd be late to meet them because he was "watching birds at the river". Apparently he was meant to be singing in a church choir that morning.

Anyway, after imparting what bird-knowledge we could and saying goodbye, my mum and I went to check out the area above Yarra Boulevard.

and also have a homemade treat my mum brought- yum!

Up here we found Australian Wood Ducks, Eastern Rosellas, Rainbow Lorikeets, Musk Lorikeets and Galahs all in one tree. And we also saw some Australian King Parrots.

including this guy who was thinking about getting his adult plumage