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Australian Little Bittern & other birds at Edithvale, Victoria

To: "BIRDING-AUS" <>, "BA VicGroup Sightings" <>
Subject: Australian Little Bittern & other birds at Edithvale, Victoria
From: "Mike Carter" <>
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:40:51 +1100
Among 62 species of bird, an Australian Little Bittern was seen at the Edithvale Wetlands, Victoria on Monday 12 January by Andrew Silcocks, Johnny Loy and myself. It was an adult female and by it's behaviour, flew 100 m between patches of reeds mid-afternoon, suggested it could be feeding young. It disappeared somewhere near the NW corner of the northern-most lake near where a pair were resident two years ago. This is the lake where a Great Crested Grebe is currently residing. Other birds seen, mainly on the South near the Hide, were 2 Spotless and 2 Australian Spotted Crakes, 2 Magpie Geese, 80 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, 60 Black-winged Stilts, 1 Greenshank and 11 Latham's Snipe. Wader numbers are expected to rise as the swamp dries. Unusual for this site in recent years was a Stilts nest with three eggs. They used to nest here in numbers but this site is not now favoured as vegetation is rife. Another interesting sighting was at the nearby PARCS Wetland on 10 January. It was a Great Egret, (one of six heron-type species there), unusual not because of its presence but because it was in full breeding plumage. It had a wholly black bill, mostly pink legs and long plumes on the back draping below the wings and tail. It did not however have blue lores which are developed only when actually courting. Also present were 4 Cape Barren Geese.

Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza  VIC 3930
Tel  (03) 9787 7136

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