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Well certainly Pitt Town Lagoon is on its way to
empty and I would expect it to be bone dry in about a weeks time if the
prevailing conditions hold. Myself, Simon Blanchflower, Trevor and Annie Quested
and Michael Ronan were there this morning looking at about 300
plus Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, atleast 3 Red-necked Stints, a Little
Egret, 2 Pacific Herons, 5 Yellow-billed Spoonbills, 38 Whiskered
Terns and a Swamp Harrier amongst a few more other species. Overhead where
many of both White-browed and Masked Woodswallows and there was a flock of about
a 100 Chestnut-breasted Mannikins flying over the long grass on the north side
of the lagoon. Both Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoos and Rufous Songlarks were
also heard nearby.
We then checked Bushell's Lagoon at Freeman's Reach
later in the morning before all heading home. Unlike Pitt Town, this lagoon
has lots of water and some of the birds appear to have moved here. Here we
saw 70 plus Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, 5 Pectoral Sandpipers (including last
weeks red flagged bird), 5 Marsh Sandpipers, 1 Greenshank, 4 Brown Quail,
10 Pink-eared Ducks, 4 Red-kneed Dotterels, 4 Yellow-billed and
10 Royal Spoonbills, a Darter, 2 Plumed Egrets, a pair of adult White-breasted
Sea-eagles and another 30 Whiskered Terns. No Dunlin looking wader was in sight.
Again lots of Woodwsallows were flying overhead the lagoon or in the
Eucalypts and flowering Silky Oaks along the roads nearby (many
White-browed and a few Masked and Dusky Woodwsallows) Some of the
White-browed Woodswallows are becoming a bit territorial and a few appear to be
collecting nest material? Many of these woodswallows were mimicking the calls of
both Spiny-cheeked and Striped Honeyeaters.
Edwin Vella
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