There are some birds that are mainly/only seen in our area in summer. This includes birds such as Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Dusky Woodswallows and of course migratory shorebirds, including Latham’s Snipe.
One of my summer favourites is the White-throated Needletail – a type of swift. They have a stocky body, short square tail with small spines and a wing span about twice that of a Welcome Swallow. They normally swoop around in large flocks, high in the sky, and almost never as close as shown in the photo. They are seen in our area between December and March.
White-throated Needletail (Photo: Margaret Lacey)
Another favourite is the Musk Lorikeet which is around in summer when the eucalypts they feed on are flowering. They are around three quarters the size of a Rainbow Lorikeet, and also noisy and excited. The red areas around the face provide a good identification diagnostic.
Musk Lorikeet (Photo: Katie Pahlow)
James Orton