Dear Harvey, Trevor & interested birding-ausers,
In general, great-crested grebes are infrequently encountered on most of the
smaller waterbodies in south central Queensland. For example, at Roma (roughly
480km west of Brisbane) I have observed a single bird during four years of
regular (weekly) waterbird counts on the small wetlands about town.
However, a mere 175km to the north, at Lake Nuga Nuga (about 45km east of
Carnarvon Gorge) great-crested grebes are regulars & there are usually at least
a few score birds to be seen from the shoreline with the aid of binoculars or
spotting scope. Here in March 1996, I was privelaged to witness several
hundred great-crested grebes nesting within metres of the water's edge. In
addition, several thousand birds in breeding plumage were observed in massive
rafts a few hundred metres offshore - a sight to behold!.
Regards,
Craig Eddie
Natural Resource Ranger
Roma District Office
Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service
Tel: (07) 4622 4266 Fax: (07) 4622 4151
Harvey Perkins wrote:
> > I saw a Great Crested Grebe at Swanport Reserve about 5km south of
> >Murray Bridge. I hadn't recorded this species in the area before, so it
> >was a pleasing sighting. In fact I haven't seen it much in South Aust.
> >It is my impression that this species is not very common here in South
> >Aust. What what do other birders think??
>
> Trevor,
>
> I've only ever seen Great Crested Grebes on two occasions: three on Lake
> Alexandrina at Meningie (SA) in late October 1995, and a few on Bibra Lake
> in a southern suburb of Perth (WA) in early October 1997.
>
> Great birds that I'd been wanting to see for a while. At first I thought
> "ah, so this is where they hang out" but your comments about their scarcity
> in SA tends to refute that. My impression now is that they are nowhere
> common.
>
> Harvey
>
> .........................................................................
> Dr Harvey D. Perkins :: Editor, :
> Divn Biochemistry & Molecular Biology :: Canberra Bird Notes, :
> Faculty of Science :: Journal of the Canberra :
> Australian National University :: Ornithologists Group (COG) :
> Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia :: 42 Summerland Circuit, :
> ph: (02) 6249 2693; fax:(02) 6249 0313 :: Kambah, ACT 2902 :
> email: :: Ph: (02) 6231 8209 :
> .........................................................................
>
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