Albury Sewage Ponds NSW..

["Michael Ramsey" <>]

Hello all,

 

I spent some time yesterday afternoon at the Sewage Ponds in Albury NSW. To my astonishment, 2 and a half hours after I began observing I had recorded a huge list of 70 species. The conditions were not that great, it was dark and there were showers. I had to shelter from the rain a few times under large red gums. The habitat here is varied, ranging from the sewage ponds themselves, to thick riparian vegetation along the Murray River and gardens nearby. Most species recorded were common but the diversity stunned me.

 

A few records that interested me were birds that were overwintering. Does anyone have any comments on this. A female Rufous Songlark was a surprising sighting. A flock (12) of Dusky Woodswallows was also present, I have never seen these birds in this area in June before. Also I flushed a Clamorous Reed-warbler from a reed bed, another bird overwintering or do they just go quiet in winter.

 

I recorded 5 bird of prey species. Whistling Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Brown Goshawk, Brown Falcon and Australian Hobby. The Whistling Kites were observed feeding on dead carp, my guess is they were caught and just left on the river bank. The Brown Goshawk (male) was involved in a hot pursuit of a Crimson (Yellow race) Rosella, fortunatley for the Rosella the Goshawk was not succesful.

 

Waterfowl diversity was high but numbers were not. There was perhaps only 200-300 birds on the ponds, in the past I have seen over 2000 birds on the ponds here. Black Duck, Grey Teal, Chestnut Teal, Pink-eared Duck (only 2), Musk Duck, Australian Shelduck, Black Swan, Shoveler, Australasian Grebe, Pelican, Little Black, Little Pied and Great Cormorants and the common Coot, Moorhen and Swamphen were recorded. Strangely enough no Hardhead were seen.   

 

It is probably the diversity of habitats at this site (only about 1km by 500m in size) that leads to the diversity of species seen I believe. Any comments.

 

Michael Ramsey

Wangaratta, Vic.

 

 

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