David Mitford phoned me yesterday that another
Black-backed (Little) Bittern (possibly a pair) was seen yesterday morning
at the East Lakes Ponds in Botany (very close to Sydney's busy international
airport) along with some other good birds. This has certainly turned out to
be a good place to bird this season (various Crakes, waders, Terns, several
White-winged Trillers, Dollarbirds etc) but I have not yet a chance to explore
it as yet.
I'd expect more of these Bitterns (which
appear more or so regular each year in Sydney and more common esp. in
drought conditions) to be in other places, so check any wetland with suitable
cover wherever you live. As many observers have found, these gems are not
always that elusive and often put on a good show.
Edwin Vella
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