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Fivebough Swamp in November should be well worth a
visit - rice crops are in, paddies flooded, huge numbers of waterbirds around
the Leeton area. has always been great waterbird area - 40-45 years ago
various males in my family were very frequent duck-shooters (I grew up
there) - various rice farms and Tuckerbil Swamp were the favourite
locations - I spent many hours plucking black ducks, teal and wood-ducks
for dinner!
when I last visited Fivebough at Easter there were lots
of ducks, esp on the sewage ponds (bird hide overlooks those, which are at the
back of the swamp area.
Sandra
Henderson
Email:
Mark is certainly correct about the airport
issue and its importance about not having too many birds there. Actually, I'm a
bit surprised by Peter's comments and I have not thought along those lines at
all and didn't realise anyone did. I would have thought the JW area is a very
good bird spot, given how close it is to the city, that it has other
requirements to fill and could never hope to be anything to compare with
Werribee, which is huge and close to the coast. Also I'd suggest Mark's comments
are as much a personal comment and age related as other things. If someone now
waded and swam across many of the
channels they would likely
encounter more good birds than we do taking it easy walking on the formed paths.
I used to do that sort of crazy thing too (in other places) but don't feel
inclined any more. JW regularly has as many native species of ducks in a
situation easier (as in closer) viewable than just about any other site in
inland SE Aust. I went on a COG trip to Fivebough Swamp
Leeton in September 2000 (I expect it was written up in GG). From memory it was
pretty good, well worth seeing. Like many similar spots and I don't know that it
was particularly superior to Gum Swamp at Forbes or the sewage works at Hay
or many other places I've been to.
Philip
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