A walk along Lake Rd Bungendore

[martin butterfield <>]

On Saturday Frances and I took the small dog for a walk along Lake Rd to check out the water levels and the birdlife.  

The first element of water level was that the large dam on the left just after the road surface becomes dirt is full again.  Few waterbirds seemed to be using it, but as we drove past when leaving a flock of about 20 Double-barred finches flew across the road at this point.  

We parked about 5.5km along the road and walked North. The water was still some distance from the road so most swimming birds couldn't be identified though binoculars (and as we were walking I didn't feel like lugging my telescope and tripod).  Birds we were able to identify included:

• a flock of 18 White-faced Herons close to the start point;
• approximately 40 Masked lapwings about 2km further down the road (and a more dispersed group near our our turn point, where a track goes onto the Lake bed);
• calls of Rainbow Bee-eaters coming from the hillside above the turn point; and
• a flock of at least 40 Red-browed finches feeding on the ground beside the road (and several smaller flocks elsewhere along the road).

I intend to return with my telescope during the week to see what can be worked out about the ducks etc.  

Martin