Plains Rd

["martin butterfield" <>]

After my disappontment at missing the WFHE I recalled Juliennes comment about a large flock of Shelduck on Plains Road so took myself off there.  Hopefully larger birds would be easier to find.  I also took my bins with me this time. 

 

I found 15 Australian shelduck about 4km down Plains Road.  They seemed a tad nervous and flew off while I was still 300m away (on my bike). 

 

The most astonishing sight however was a flock of Australian Magpies close to the corner of Plains and Briars-Sharrow Roads.  I counted at least 108 birds in an area of no more than 100m radius.  They all seemed to be probing the pasture so I presume the local worm population had come to the surface to avoid the increased water level.  When I road back past, very close to dusk the flock was still more of less intact but birds were beginning to fly off - in groups of about 10 - to the North.

 

I also saw - at Windemere Station - a flock of 17 Red-rumped parrots, whih are not something I have previously seen here (although the habitat seems suitable).

 

Martin