Today I had a fairly quick look at Banyule Swamp (in the Yarra valley at
Heidelberg, for those who dont know it).
Cattle Egrets are still around but most now have yellow/orange breeding
plumage. I counted about 60 in Yarra Flats Park among the horse
agistment paddocks, then I went on to cross the paddocks from Plymouth
St to reach the Swamp. On the way I counted a total of more than 100
Egrets in the swampy paddocks. A dog disturbed them and many took refuge
in the Swamp. Some looked rather slight and definitely whiter than the
rest of the flock. It was not till I got to the Swamp lookout point,
where I met two other birdwatchers, that I saw a single bird fly in
which looked about the size of white cockatoo with long legs.. It was
definitely a Little Egret and when I carefully checked the others there
seemed to be at least eight Littles, maybe more, among the Cattle
Egrets. I must take my telescope over there next time.
Other nice sights were a Black Duck with flotilla of 5 ducklings, the
parent Swans and their four fluffy cygnets, Red-rumped Parrots feeding
on capeweed at my feet, and an explosion of little birds as I walked
into a flock of about 30 Redbrowed Finches.
Anthea Fleming, Ivanhoe Vic.
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