Hi all,
I returned to Mildura (North West Victoria, dry mallee country) last week
after a few weeks away. To check on local happenings, I re-visited a few
favourite haunts.
Interesting sightings were (not complete lists):
Lake Ranfurly (on south west edge of Mildura township): approx. 2000
Red-necked Avocets, approx. 1000 Silver Gulls, several hundred Grey Teal,
dozens of Aust Shelduck, dozens of Black Swans, dozens of Black-winged
Stilts, a few Banded Stilts (1 juvenile), solitary female Musk Duck (staying
away from all others), 20 to 30 Pelicans, Swamp Harrier, Black Kites,
Whistling Kite, etc.
Mildura WW Treatment Plant - pond, (on western edge of township): approx.
75 Freckled Ducks, hundreds of Pink-eared ducks, hundreds of Grey Teal,
dozens of Aust and Hoary-headed Grebes, dozens of Black Swans, a few Avocets
and Black-winged Stilts, dozens of Aust Shelduck, dozens of Aust
Shoveller,dozens of Hardheads, several Black-fronted and Red-kneed
Dotterels, approx. 20 Marsh Sandpiper (may have been more on other side),
Great Egret, Marsh Harrier, etc. I probably only covered two-thirds of this
area and expect more of all of the above are present.
Murray River, right on edge of township: Caspian and Whiskered Terns, many
Darters, many Cormorants (Great, Little Black and Little Pied), single
Sacred Kingfisher, Whistling and Black Kites, Collared Sparrowhawk, many
Pelicans, and a single Cattle Egret. I had trouble working this Egret out
for a while as not being a Little, as it had a blackish-orange bill and
normally is not seen in this area or hanging out away from pastures (as far
as I have experienced). I believe it was a juvenile and was associating on
the wall of the Weir halfway across the river with several Silver Gulls and
Great Cormorants.
While in Castlemaine (North Central Victoria, 120 kms from Melbourne) we had
two sightings of three, then about 8 White-throated Needletails close to the
centre of town. This was in the week of 20th Jan - two days apart, late
afternoon, but I didn't take a note of the days.
Bob Cook
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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