Insect-Eaters

Warm, sultry overcast weather with storms.

The farmers hate this weather- too late for rain to do any good and it spoils the hay!

However, strange things blow in with a north-east weather system. Large flocks of White-browed Woodswallows hunting for insects over the treetops. Pair of White-browed Woodswallows

Photo G. Cheers

Then a weird metallic trumpeting, muttering and cackling call and 2 Dollarbirds appear on the scene.

Magpies, Striated Pardalotes and Red Wattlebirds get a run as do the Woodswallows.

Dollarbird at Carapooee West

Photo A Hughes

A quite large and chunky bird with a most distinctive flight pattern and a white circular patch on each wing- the eponymous dollar. Checking on the distribution in the Birdlife Atlas, these are rare visitors to our region.

This is the first sighting I have had of this species in our region in 37 years- so a new species for our BIrd List.