We (John Peter and myself) managed to see the Dowitcher in very trying
conditions on Monday early afternoon. By the time we arrived up from Melbourne
a but after one o'clock, there was a howling hot northerly which was whipping
up a considerable dust storm in the general area. Conditions on the southern
end of the lake were atrocious- almost a total white out due to a blizzard of
salt blown across the large dry expanses of much of the lake.
We thought we would have no chance finding the Dowitcher if it had even still
been there. Luckily there was another birding sheltering in his car who said
the bird had been there earlier.
And in conditions I have never experienced before we finally managed to see the
Long- billed attempting to shelter from the worst of it behind tiny sprigs of
salt marsh vegetation. Soon a after a southerly change came through and while
the winds were just as strong the direction they came from blew the salt away
allowing for some decent views including hearing the call as it flew a short
distance at one stage.
It had taken me six weeks to have a free day to twitch this unique bird and the
conditions certainly made it a most memorable one.
Sean Dooley
Sent from my iPhone
> On 29 Dec 2014, at 5:25 pm, "calyptorhynchus ." <>
> wrote:
>
> We travelled from Canberra to Kerang in a quest for the two rareties on
> Sunday. We arrive at around 3pm at the northern end and walked down the
> southern without seeing anything much at all.
>
> This morning we went back to the southern end and there were more waders
> (and better viewing conditions), but no Dowitcher or Phalarope.
>
> Hope others had better luck.
>
> --
> John Leonard
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