Following Peter Fuller's report this week of Inland Dotterel near Ned's
Corner, west of Mildura in NW Victoria,
well, we really went for that Inland Dotterel. Unsuccessfully.
We were out from 9.00 a.m. until nearly 6.00 p.m. It was a glorious day, so
very enjoyable. Because we have had good rains here recently, the area all
along and South of the Murray River from Mildura out to Ned's Corner - about
70km, is much greener than we have ever seen it.
Also some of the back roads were still too wet, even for 4WD, so after
tackling a fair bit of mud and slosh and backtracking, we took a really
roundabout route (or routes). The area where the Dotterel was seen was
along a stretch of road about 8km long and we did not know exactly where, so
we traversed that road twice at about 25kmh. stopping a few times. I think
we spent a total of about two hours just on that 8kms! Peter had seen the
birds around dusk and we were there between 2 & 3 p.m. and then between 4
and 5 p.m.
Anyway, the good part about the day was 79 species! This is the second best
we have ever got in a day, after the 81 we got in Central/North Victoria a
few years ago.
Full list (just because we enjoyed it) - asterisks on the specials for us
and this area!
Black Swan
Aust Shelduck
Wood Duck
Grey Teal
Pelican
White-faced Heron
Great Egret
White Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Black-shouldered Kite
Black Kite
Whistling Kite
Swamp Harrier
Brown Goshawk
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Brown Falcon
Aust Kestrel
Black-winged Stilt
Red-necked Avocet
Masked Lapwing
Silver Gull
Feral Pigeon
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Galah
Little Corella
Cockatiel
Crimson (Yellow) Rosella
Aust (Mallee) Ringneck
Blue Bonnet
Red-rumped Parrot
Mulga Parrot*
Budgerigar**
Horsefield's Bronze-Cuckoo**
Kookaburra
Sacred Kingfisher
Rainbow Bee-eater*
Variegated Fairy-wren
White-winged Fairy-wren
Southern Whiteface
Red Wattlebird
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Striped Honeyeater*
Little Friarbird
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Noisy Miner
Yellow-throated Miner
Singing Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
White-fronted Honeyeater
Black Honeyeater**
Crimson Chat*
White-fronted Chat
Jacky Winter
Red-capped Robin*
Chestnut-crowned Babbler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Magpie-lark
Willie Wagtail
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Masked Woodswallow
White-browed Woodswallow
Pied Butcherbird
Aust Magpie
Aust Raven
Little Raven
White-winged Chough
Richard's Pipit
House Sparrow
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Clamorous Reed-warbler
Little Grassbird*
Rufous Songlark*
Brown Songlark
Blackbird
Myna
When I think of the "easy" birds around this area that we did not see
(cormorants, more ducks, waders and waterhen, thornbills), it strikes me
that 100 species in a day within 50kms of Mildura would be not difficult at
all.
Bob Cook
Mildura VIC.
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