We spent about 4 hours at the WTP (Werribee) in the middle of the day
today - very pleasant temp, around 24 degrees, but the wind was even
stronger than usual and at times it was hard to use the scopes.
Highlight was Red-necked Phalarope on Walsh's Lagoon (actually on
pond 7 I think - if you turn right after crossing Little River from
Paradise Road, it's the second large pond on the left). It was easy
to spot, swimming back and forth in front of the little sandbar full
of Shelduck and BW Stilts. We had good views for as long as we
stayed to watch it - but I really can't figure out how Peter Fuller
managed to get those amazing photos a few days ago.
There were also four Black-tailed Godwit in the phalarope pond.
There were several hundred small waders on 35E pond 9 - we got very
good views of about a third of them before conceding defeat to the
wind. All the ones we checked out were Red-necked Stint, Sharp-
tailed Sandpiper or Curlew Sandpiper, with a handful of Masked
Lapwing. Couldn't manage to convince any Long-toed Stints, or Broad-
billed or Pec Sandpipers to show themselves. Lots of stints were well
out of the water on the large expanse of dried mud - this would have
been the perfect place for one of the rarities to run out to meet
us. None did.
No pratincole either - we looked in most of the suggested places,
including 85C-9 and T Section lagoon where they were two years ago.
Dean Woodford & Russell Woodford
Species seen within WTP:
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa [4]
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia [few]
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Red-necked or Northern Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus [1]
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus [4]
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans [1 only!]
Brown Falcon Falco berigora [2]
Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus
Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius
Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus
Musk Duck Biziura lobata
Black Swan Cygnus atratus
Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae [11]
Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides
Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Grey Teal Anas gracilis
Chestnut Teal Anas castanea
Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus
Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus
White-fronted Chat Epthianura albifrons
Little Raven Corvus mellori
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Willie-wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis
Skylark Alauda arvensis
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
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