Sounds like a good day at Lake Wendouree Johnny.
Interestingly Newlyn Reservoir (30 kms west of Ballarat) is also covered in a
wide variety of waterfowl at the moment, although in lower numbers. If you
include Black Swan and Domestic Geese, there were 13 species of duck on the
reservoir . It appears that the main reason fo this is because the water levels
are very low and as a consequence there's excellent feeding conditions as well
as a number of ephemeral mud islands for the
birds to roost.
Ducks included Freckled Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Blue-billed Duck, Hardhead,
Australian Shoveler, Grey Teal, Chestnut Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Wood Duck,
Musk Duck, Black Swan, Domestic Goose & in the surrounding fields Mountain
Duck. There are also good numbers of other waterbirds such as Great Crested
Grebe.
Cheers,
Tim
John Harris wrote:
> Dear All
> I was planning a camping trip up to the box-ironbark forest around
> maryborough over the weekend but once up there, the rain didn't stop so I
> headed for the relative comfort of my mum's house (pardon the pun!!) in
> Ballarat.
>
> I caught up with my long-time friend Helen O'Donnell and she mentioned that
> both Freckled Duck and Grey Teal were both on the Lake in good numbers. I
> headed up there yesterday morning and amid the mist saw hundreds of Grey Teal
> and around 200 Freckled Duck. I believe that there were about 2000 Grey Teal
> and 370 Freckled Duck counted recently by Roger Thomas, the local nature
> writer for the Ballarat Courier and BOCA member.
>
> There were ducks galore with nearly all southern species except Mountain and
> Musk Ducks observed.
>
> Another interesting sight was a partially leucistic Purple Swamphen, which
> had me guessing for a moment or two when I first glimpsed it.
>
> Birds seen:
> Freckled Duck 200+
> Grey Teal 1500- 2000
> Chestnut Teal
> Pacific Black Duck
> Australian Shoveler
> Wood Duck
> Blue-billed Duck
> Hardhead
> Domestic Duck
> Pink-eared Duck
> Black Swan
> Purple Swamphen
> Dusky Moorhen
> Lt Pied Cormorant
> Great Egret
> White Ibis
> Masked Lapwing
> Lt Grassbird
> Mudlark
> Aust Magpie
> Lt Raven
> White-browed Scrubwren
> Brown Thornbill
> Aust Grebe
> Crimson Rosella
> Silver Gull
> Eurasian Coot
> House Sparrow
> Common Starling
> Red Wattlebird
>
> Yours in all things "green"
>
> Regards
>
> John Harris
> Environmental Education Officer
> Donvale Christian College
> 155 Tindals Rd Donvale 3111
> 03 9844 2471
> 0409 090 955
>
>
> ==============================www.birding-aus.org
> birding-aus.blogspot.com
>
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