A trip to Braeside Wetlands, Melbourne

[S Cooney <>]

Hi all and happy new year,

On the faint possibility of seeing a Freckled Duck, I went to Braeside Wetlands in the Southern suburbs of Melbourne on Friday.  I didn?t see the Freck (a definite target for this year), but had a nice, if somewhat muggy wander around the wetland.  1 and possibly 2 new species for me at this site were the Pink-eared ducks and the at least twenty hardhead, including young.  There was too much water for migratory waders; almost nothing in the way of mud-banks.

A list of the 53 species follows,

Regards,

Stuart

Australian Wood Duck    Chenonetta jubata
Black Swan      Cygnus atratus
Magpie Goose    Anserana semipalmata
Hardhead        Aythya australis
Pacific Black Duck      Anas superciliosa
Australasian Shoveller  Anas platyrhynchotis
Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus
Grey Teal       anas gracillis
Chestnut Teal   Anas castanea
Hoary-headed Grebe      Poliocephalus poliocephalus
Australasian Grebe      Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Little Black Cormorant  Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Little Pied Cormorant   Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Australian Pelican      Pelecanus conspicillatus
White-faced Heron       Ardea novaehollandiae
Great Egret     Ardea alba
Straw-necked Ibis       Threskiornis spinicollis
Australian White Ibis   Threskiornis molucca
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia
Swamp Harrier   Circus approximans
Brown Falcon    Falco berigora
Dusky Moorhen   Gallinula tenebrosa
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
Eurasian Coot   Fulica atra
Black-winged Stilt      Himantopus himantopus
Masked Lapwing  Vanellus miles
Silver Gull     Larus novaehollandiae
Spotted Turtledove      Streptopelia chinensis
Feral Pigeon    Columba livia
Crested Pigeon  Ocyphaps lophotes
Eastern Rosella Platycercus exemius
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo        Cacatua galerita
Laughing Kookaburra     Dacelo novaeguineae
Superb Fairy-wren       Malurus cyaneus
Little Wattlebird       Anthochaera chrysoptera
Noisy Miner     Manorina melanocephala
White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus penecilatus
Willie Wagtail  Rhipidura leucophrys
Grey Butcherbird        cracticus torquatus
Magpielark      Grallinula cyanoleuca
Australian Magpie       Gymnorhyna tibicen
Little Raven    Corvus mellori
Skylark Alauda arvensis
House Sparrow   Passer domseticus
European Goldfinch      Carduelis carduelis
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Clamorous Reed-warbler  Acrocephalus stentoreus
Little Grassbird        Megalurus gramineus
Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis
Common Blackbird        Turdus merula
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Common Myna     Acridotheres tristis