The weather may have been terrible but our trip to the Treatment Plant was
great. Hilary Brooke from Perth was staying with me, we met on my Cape York
Trip, and she was interested to catch up with birds from Victoria.
Our most interesting sighting was a Swamp Harrier who appeared to harry a
Grebe on Lake Borrie. The raptor seemed unable to get a purchase on the
struggling grebe, taking off with the prey but not lifting it very far.
About three attempts were made. Then it seemed to be sitting on the grebe
before trying to take off with it, again without success. This strategy
was repeated a couple times before the Harrier appeared to be very wet and
having difficulties in flying at all. Eventually the Harrier flew off. No
sure if the grebe survived that ordeal.
There were prodigious flocks of Pink-eared Duck who were very flighty. The
Australasian Shovelers added colour to the very grey day. The Musk duck
were very low in the water.
We saw many Immaculately marked Red-kneed Dotterel, Double Banded Dotterel,
Red-necked Avocet, Banded and Black -winged stilts, White-winged Black
Terns, Black-tailed Native Hens , and plenty more.
The extremely high tide made the drive to the Borrow pits quite an
adventure.
Another great day, I am always happy to share the Treatment Plant with
fellow birders.
Shirley Cameron
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
