Hi everybody -
On Saturday (24 Aug) I saw a Great Crested Grebe (GCGR) in the SW corner of
Swan Bay, near Queenscliff, Victoria. I am not very familiar with the area
(though I intend to become so as I am moving house near there) but it did
set me thinking about GCGRs generally and how common or rare they are.
While not as common as muck, they are not really in the rarity class either
- at least in SE Australia. One of those species that - if you are not
already doing an Atlas survey - you might still send in a form for as an
incidental record.
For me it is a species that gives me a buzz every time I see one (which is
not often), though I note that the Atlas of Victorian Birds states
'...concentrations of birds may occur on tidal bays and saline lakes,
particularly during winter' and they may be regular visitors to Swan Bay at
this time of year. Having only seen single birds - maybe an occasional
pair, a concentatration would be great to see.
Hundreds of Chestnut Teal and Little Pied Cormorants around as well, with
several Hoary-headed Grebes, Australian Pelicans, Great Cormorants and
Silver Gulls. Then, glowing in the late afternoon sunlight, a flock of
about a dozen Blue-winged Parrots settled momentarily in the strip of
salt-marsh along the bay - only five metres or so away from me - before
flying off. A couple seemed even brighter than the others but I couldn't
quite convince myself that they were Orange-bellied Parrots (though I tried).
Cheers,
Hugo
Hugo Phillipps
Communications Coordinator
Birds Australia
415 Riversdale Road
Hawthorn East 3123, Australia
Tel: (03) 9882 2622, fax: (03) 9882 2677
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Website: <http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au>
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