Jerrabombera Wetlands: the Good and the Bad

[martin butterfield <>]

Following recent reports of much goodness at the wetlands I took myself off there today.  

The first bits of goodness were a Red-kneed Dotterel wandering around in the mud opposite Cygnus hide and hearing the first Australian Reed-warbler of the season (for me at least).  No sign of a Freckled Duck nor (here) Latham's Snipe.

Heading over to the channels, ponds and mucky bits opposite the Hospice provided more goodness.  About 6 Red-kneed Dotterel and a similar number of Black -fronted Dotterels.  The Red-necked Stint was still evident, although somewhat camera shy.  I then moved down the peninsula following the Lakeshore.  2 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, at least 6 Latham's Snipe and a flock of 15 Masked Lapwing (2 of whom expressed considerable displeasure at my presence).

The first bit of badness was a carload of young persons and their dog doing something or another in the bushes between Bittern and Ardea hides.  It was noisy and scared off all the birds but I was well outnumbered so passed on by.  The second bad element was seeing three more (chronologically at least) mature males walking through the cow paddocks with their dogs off lead: the dogs did seem to be well trained, but I suspect that had they been further from the creek I would not have had such a good haul.  As far as I can determine all these folk came in through the Dairy Road car park, so restricting access to that will not protect the wetlands too well.  Much as I hate to propose further Laura Norder officialdom, the only way to protect the place will be to employ sufficient staff as Rangers for CNP and give them the powers and training to ensure appropriate behaviour for a Nature Park..

To complete the Sergio Leone trilogy I could comment that the Ugly bit of the visit was that the only raptors seen were a Whistling Kite and a Black-shouldered Kite.  No Grey Goshawk.