Today, I managed to escape from
home for a few hours to have a look around the Hawkesbury area (approx 55-60km
north-west of Sydney CBD) for ducks and raptors as winter is the best time to go
looking for both.
There was definitely no less than
eighteen (18) FRECKLED DUCKS present today in the Hawkesbury area (3 short than
what Keith reported on 22/5/02).
At Pitt Town Lagoon, I counted 20
Hoary-headed Grebes, 9 Freckled Ducks (including atleast 2 males), 80 plus
Hardheads, 100 plus Australasian Shoveler, and 300 plus Pink-eared Ducks. There
were also 10 Red-kneed Dotterels and 400 plus Coots. A sub-adult White-bellied
Sea-eagles disturbed the ducks a number of times, and for the first time I got
to watch the Freckled Ducks take flight (they were obviously darker and larger
headed than the other ducks and had relatively shorter and pointier wings and
they also revealed their pale under-wings) amongst the hundreds of Pink-eared
Ducks.
At nearby Pitt Town Bottoms Rd, I
was fortunate to get superb views of one of my favourite raptors, a beautiful
and cooperative adult SPOTTED HARRIER. I watched it for some time flying very
low over the long grass and twice it twisted and pounced for prey on the ground,
and I was even able to get within 25 metres of the Harrier, while it perched
still on the ground. The Spotted Harrier is an uncommon but regular winter
visitor to the Sydney area (usually
May ? Sept).
Around Bakers Lagoon
(Richmond), I saw a few more
raptors, including a few Whistling Kites (3), a Swamp Harrier, a Kestrel and
several Black-shouldered Kites. I didn?t bother go looking for buttonquail or
quail while in the turf farms (often King Quail and maybe Little and Red-backed
Button-quail may be present in winter).
At Bushes Lagoon (some people
call it a different name) at the end of Powells Lane (near Richmond) I again got
great views of another 9 Freckled Ducks (all initially resting than all
swimming), a few more Pink-eared Ducks, Australasian Shovelers and Hardheads, 30
plus Hoary-headed Grebes, Plumed and Great Egrets, Royal Spoonbills (8) but none
of the usual Plumed Whistling Ducks (probably all hiding somewhere as
usual).
In the town of
Richmond I was fortunate again to be
able to walk right up to a very cooperative Immature Australian Hobby perched on
power lines.
Edwin Vella
