Yes Moolap Station rd entrance to Reedy Lake Geelong vic is pretty good at
the moment and if anyone would like to help count waders there on the
morning of Saturday Feb 10 they would be very popular and their help would
be appreciated1 ( I can offer some different places to people who don't
want to get their feet wet.) (My phone no is 5229 9792)
Intermediate Egrets are very unusual in this area though not impossible,
there was one at reedy lake on 14/10/99 (Geelong Bird report 1999). However
they are so unusual that Marilyn Hewish who edits the report asks for a
written description (we use the Atlas Unusual record form for this) and as
the local Atlas person i ask for a description too.
A trap for young players round here are juvenile Little Egrets presumably
from the colony at the Geelong Grammar School Corio. The HANZAB illus shows
chicks with yellow or variegated bills, and the text says for Nestlings:
Bill yellow or black, tipped yellow or variegated black and yellow, and
quotes Max Maddock "Individuals observed with variegated bill up to 4
months after fledging". The first time I saw several Little Egrets together
with almost entirely yellow bills I got a big surprise; I am not suggesting
Ian's Egret was a Little Egret - gape and plumes sound fine, and Reedy Lake
is Egret (and crake) Paradise at present so I would not be surprised if an
Intermediate Egret turned up - but in this area and at this time of the
year you can't assume that all Little Egrets will have black bills. However
the youthful little egrets are more likely to be at Point Henry or in the
Saltworks, closer to their colony and anyhow they prefer the salt water.
Margaret
At 12:57 PM 26/01/01 +1100, Ian Montgomery wrote:
Tim,
I also saw 3 Glossy Ibises at Reedy Lake, Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria,
on 13th Feb.
I believe there was also an Intermediate Egret with them, though the
locals are sceptical. There were Great Egrets present for comparison
and I am familiar with IEs in NSW. It was in partial breeding plumage
and first attracted my attention when it flew in. Smaller than the
Greats with short neck, different gape (Greats have a gaunt look), bill
slightly orange, plumes on both back and breast (latter is supposed to
be diagnostic).
Ian Montgomery, Queenscliff, Victoria.
Margaret Cameron
Editor, Australian Birding Magazine
PO Box 2013
Geelong, Vic. 3220
Australia
4 Connor Street
East Geelong, Vic. 3219
Australia
Phone 61 3 5229 9792
Fax 61 3 5229 1520
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