Hi folks, I was at Bromley Oxidation Ponds, CHCH today and noticed a swallow with a prominent white rump in flight. It landed with other swallows on the flowering stalks of a flax bush, where the white rump was very obvious. As I was trying to focus my camera a flock of starlings landed on the flax bush and flushed the swalllows. I only had brief glimpses of the bird. The rump was very prominent. There was no white on the tail and this was not the semi-resident partial albino half-white tailed swallow. I did not see the front or undersides. I txt a few locals and Niall Mugan and Eleanor Gunby arrived shortly after. We looked for half an hour or so at 100+ swallows feeding over ponds 1 and 2, and roosting on the outlet structure and along southern shoreline of pond 2. Bird not re-sighted in that time, but there's a good chance that a search of roosts at dusk will find it.
Not sure on the ID as yet.
Map below
green = spot seen roosting briefly
purple = other roosts being used by swallows
red = area where most swallows feeding
Tree/Fairy Martin at Bromley Oxidation Ponds
-
- Posts: 2137
- Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
- Location: Christchurch
-
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2019 2:36 pm
Re: Tree/Fairy Martin at Bromley Oxidation Ponds
Based on habitat, more likely a Fairy Martin. They often nest under culverts at wetlands close to where I live whereas Tree Martin are sometimes seen flying over the wetlands, usually quite high up and would be seen more often in open fields and wooded areas. The FM has a whiter rump that the TM.
- Oscar Thomas
- Posts: 939
- Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 7:15 pm
- Location: Dunedin
- Contact:
Re: Tree/Fairy Martin at Bromley Oxidation Ponds
BruceW wrote:Based on habitat, more likely a Fairy Martin. They often nest under culverts at wetlands close to where I live whereas Tree Martin are sometimes seen flying over the wetlands, usually quite high up and would be seen more often in open fields and wooded areas. The FM has a whiter rump that the TM.
Except there was a Tree Martin seen there a few years ago as well: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=6530
-
- Posts: 2137
- Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 2:29 pm
- Location: Christchurch
Re: Tree/Fairy Martin at Bromley Oxidation Ponds
Hi folks, I had a check yesterday back at the site - many swallows but the mystery martin didn't show itself. Hopefully its there somewhere?