‘Swifties’ breed in eastern Tasmania over summer, then in winter, almost the entire population migrates north to the mainland, dispersing between Adelaide and sometimes even as far north as Brisbane. Most of them stay around Victoria however, and here they feed on winter-flowering eucalypts and wattles.

Considering how few birds there are, and the vast areas over which they disperse, having any Swifties visit our home block of bushland is a rare event. In ten years there has only been one winter in which we’ve heard a few in the area, and happened upon a pair feeding in a wattle bush outside our back door. Since then, no sign.

But this year, they are back!

Over the last few weeks, there have been flocks of a dozen or so in the bush around our home, feeding on scale insects and in the wattle. Each morning we’ve been hearing them, and seeing them whizzing through the trees overhead. As I sit in our office now, I can hear them occasionally outside.

They have a lovely tinkling chatter when feeding, and a sharp “swit, swit, swit…” flight call given invariably when they are on the wing.

It has been a delight to have them around our place, so here are some images of them, plus the sounds of a small flock feeding in the treecrown (with Wattlebirds and White-naped Honeyeaters in the background)

Tweet