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Hi Birders,
Two central Coast wetlands have been attracting the
waterbirds of late. Wamberal Lagoon Nature Reserve, a shallow coastal lake that
fills after heavy rain, breaches the sand barrier on Wamberal Beach, level
drops, sea closes the entrance again, and then if things are realitively dry,
the lagoon totally dries up. The totally dry stage has not quite happened yet,
so in the shallows water at the the northern end of the lagoon there are plenty
of waterbirds. I did my count from the Wamberal Cemetary Rd and bush bashed the
last 100 m to the edge of the lagooon. The following waterbirds were
present:
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (2)
Curlew Sandpiper (1)
Red Knot (4)
Red-necked Stint
(19)
Pacific Golden Plover
(2)
Red-capped Plover
(4)
Masked Lapwing (30)
Banded Stilt (1)
Black-winged Stilts
(33)
Grey Teal (350)
Chestnut Teal (154 including 2A+2
ducklings)
Black Swan (26)
Great Cormorant (3)
Little Pied Cormorant(12)
Little Black Cormorant
(8)
White-faced heron
(1)
White-breasted Woodswallow
(2)
Earlier in the month on 1 November 2001 I visited
Colongra Lake, which is the Ash Dam for the Munmorah Power Sation. Enter via
Basford Rd off the Pacific Highway, Lake Munmorah (Shell Serrvice Station on
corner). Travel to end of road, park car continue along firetrail. Comes to T
intersection, turn right along fire trail for 300 m, turn left down first fire
trail on left, for 150m down to Lake.
Musk Duck (20+)
Black Swan (800, in addition 2A+3
cygnets)
Shoveler (20)
Hardhead (450+)
Coot (400+)
White-breasted Sea-eagle
(1)
White-faced Heron
Hoary-headed Grebe
(2+)
Great Cormorant
Black-winged Stilt
(18)
Bar-tailed Godwit
(12+)
Little Black Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
This is the most Hardheads seen together at the one
location for the Central Coast.
Alan Morris
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