Reports have been coming in of a good sized flock of rare Swift Parrots roosting and feeding in a park between the Macleod shops and Railway Station. I had run into David E at St Kilda pier last weekend and thought we might head over to Macleod and try our luck.
On arriving at the Train Station carpark we were hit by a cacophony of bird noise – miners, ravens, magpies and many parrots and lorikeets. We immediately found Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets, and soon found a flock of 20 Swift Parrots in one of the large flowering gums. It took a while but we got a few average pics of the Swift Parrots. All the parrots and lorikeets were a bit unsettled and we saw why pretty soon – a circling Collared Sparrowhawk.
The Swift Parrot is rare and endangered. It breeds in Tasmania and then makes a crossing of Bass Straight to winter in Central and Southern Victoria.
We also found a pair of Scaly Breasted Lorikeets – a lifer for me and number 313 on my bird life list (309 for my Vic List). I was pretty happy and a bit too slow in getting a clear photo – I do have a beautifully clear shot of the tree trunk and branch that the Scaly is standing on. Maybe next time.
Swift Parrots
Bickering Swift Parrots
Swift Parrot – feeding on Lerp
Musk Lorikeet feeding on Flowering Gum nectar
Musk Lorikeet
The Gap Year and Beyond 