Kellys Swamp - Buff-banded Rail & other things

[Harvey Perkins <>]

> An afternoon
> visit to Kellys produced great views of a Buff-banded Rail at the
> southern end of the swamp (between points 12 & 13 on Geoffreys'
> map)http://www.canberrabirds.org.au/KellysSwamp.htm.
> It was
> bathing in shallow water about 2 metres from the shore for 5 minutes
> or so before stalking off into the undergrowth. Also had a couple of
> brief views of a Spotless Crake in the channel leading into the
> swamp (7 on the map).
>  
> Other
> sightings included 2 Shelduck, 11 Pelicans, 2 Royal Spoonbills, 4
> Black-fronted Dotterels, 1 Snipe, a Little Eagle and a Sacred
> Kingfisher. No Freckled Ducks.
>  
> cheers
>  
> Steve

A little earlier, at lunchtime, I didn't see either the rail or the Spotless Crake, but did see a Baillon's Crake opposite Cygnus hide in the "reeds at the end of the fence line".

The 2 spoonbills, 2 shelduck, snipe and a Sacred KF were there, but there were only 4 pelicans, and I saw 5 dotterels. I didn't see the Little Eagle. And no Freckled Duck.

Harvey