September, 1 952 THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NATURAL IST 
Page five 
and spotted wings (much finer 
spotting than the coarse mott- 
ling on the Sharp-tail’s wings). 
Its habit of bobbing its head and 
wagging its tail up and down is 
not shared by the Sharp-tailed 
Sandpiper, although the two 
Dotterels frequently bob their 
heads. The call of the Wood 
Sandpiper is a loud, shrill “Ghee* 
chee-chee.” 
SHARP - TAILED SANDPIPER 
( Erolia acuminata ): — Several 
were seen in company with the 
Wood Sandpiper on a few oc- 
casions. The rump and tail of 
this species are dark in the 
centre, white at the sides. 
WHITE IBIS (T hr e ski or nis mol- 
ucca):— Three birds were seen on 
several occasions, perched in the 
Eucalypts or feeding in the 
channel. 
STRAW-NECKED IBIS (T. spim- 
collis):— Although not seen 
along the channel, three 
birds were seen flying over the 
area late in February. 
ROYAL SPOONBILL ( Platalea 
regia):— One bird seen on three 
occasions. 
YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILL 
(P. fiavipes):— One bird seen on 
most visits. 
WHITE EGRET ( Egretta alba): 
—Although not seen along the 
channel, a single Egret was seen 
on several occasions on the upper 
reaches of the Patawalonga 
Creek, about a mile from the 
channel. 
WHITE-FACED HERON (Noto- 
p h oy x novae-h ollandiae): — Sev- 
eral birds seen on each visit. 
PACIFIC HERON (N. pacifica): 
—A single bird was seen on all 
visits to 20-3-52. This is another 
species that “irrupted” in 1951. 
BROWN BITTERN ( Botaurus 
poiciloptilus ): — Not seen by the 
writer, but one bird was identi- 
fied by R. Schodde on 22-3-52. 
This species is now very rarely 
recorded on the Adelaide Plains. 
GREY TEAL (Anas gibberifrons) 1 
—One bird on 27-2-52 and a flock 
of over 20 on two later occasions. 
SPOT LED HARRIER ( Circus 
assimilis) : —Another stranger to 
the Adelaide Plains. A single 
bird was seen but once (27-2-52) 
when my attention was drawn to 
it by a flock of Spur-winged 
Plover, which calling loudly, 
chased the Harrier. In the field 
the spotting of the under parts 
is not always obvious, but the 
wing pattern as seen in the field 
(plain grey with black primaries, 
above and below), is not pos- 
sessed by any other local hawk 
of comparable size. A Spotted 
Harrier, probably the same bird, 
was seen on a number of later 
occasions along the Patawalonga 
Creek, North GleneJg. 
WHISTLING EAGLE (. H alias tur 
sphenurus):— One bird seen fly- 
ing over the area on one oc- 
casion. 
BLACK - SHOULDERED KITE 
(Elanus notatus):— One, some- 
times two birds seen on several 
occasions either along the chan- 
nel or hovering over the pad- 
docks along Tapleys Hill Road. 
LITTLE FALCON ( Falco longi- 
pennis)\— This swift, long-winged 
hawk was seen but once. 
