brief Riverina birding trip

[sandra henderson <>]

Yesterday and today was spent taking Qld birder Judy Leitch down to the Griffith area (Judy accompanied the COG walk to Square Rock last weekend, and I'd met her on a Tassie tour last year).

We started at Campbell Swamp (near Lake Wyangan), where an Aust Bittern has been seen fairly recently - we missed out on that one, but it was a great place to visit. Highlights - about 40 black-tailed native hens, many 1000s of tree martins circling above (an amazing sight - I notice someone reported 100s there to Birds in Backyards 4 days ago, but we really did see several 1000s), many red-kneed dotterels, several whistling kites, a VERY confiding little grassbird - less than a metre away in full view for quite some time, a spotted crake, and some zebra finches and GH cisticolas along path to carpark.

A quick stop at Lake Wyangan yielded great crested grebes as well as Australasian and horay-headed, Great, little black, Pied and little pied cormorants, many darters, pelicans. both sites many ducks including shovellers and punk-eared ducks.

Off to Wattle Dam at Binya Forest with me promising a turquoise parrot - it was delivered with a group of 8 arriving at the dam within 10 mins - that time was spent watching a group of ringnecks, then a big group of apostlebirds having a bath and a drink. Tried to follow the turquoise parrots into the woodland, and happened on a tree with both Bar-shouldered and peaceful doves, and flushed a common bronzewing.

Off up the road to Spring Hill picnic area in Cocoparra to see if we could find a splendid fairy wren - managed a couple of males with very bright blue tails along the road. Mulga parrots and ringnecks in the Spring Hill carpark, as well as dusky woodswallows. Grey-crowned babblers along the track. Bluebonnets in several locations.

A pair of hobbies on the wires at Whitton.

Called in to the Hooey Rd lookout at Fivebough - thousands of ducks (wish we'd had a scope) - could see many pink-eared ducks, shovellers and grey teal. hundreds of black-winged stilts. 

One odd sight - about 30 whistling kites circling above a paddock near Whitton - some stubble burning nearby so perhaps the rodents had been stirred up - those kites were still there this morning (first seen yesterday ) and almost across the road, 10 black kites and a whistling kite above another paddock being ploughed, so again - prey being stirred up by the farm work.

sandra h