For some months now my local landcare group have been working on protecting
and improving on a local wetland where Brolgas traditiionally flock and also
where a pair has regularly attempted to breed unsuccessfully).
Work finally started a few weeks ago with some earthworks and revegetation.
All along the issue of water has been a bit of a tricky one. In the midst of
a drought the creek hasn't flowed for a long while, no water...no wetland.
Then it started raining (thats real rain this time) we are up to 2 inches
and counting.(I'm writing this to the sound of rain on a tin roof!). With
some heavy showers and lots of hard dry compacted ground with little cover
there's been a lot of runoff and the creek has started to flow. At midday
today half the wetland was full. 2 Masked lapwings,1 Black-tailed
Nativehen,1 Pacific Heron and 2 Grey Teal. They were quick.
At 5:30pm tonight the creek was higher again. Very high in fact. All wetland
areas full and so I thought I'd take a walk upstream to see where the water
was spilling out to help with future regulation of water levels.
I hadn't got far when a wader flew up and off to a nearby dam. Damn,left the
knockies in the car.So I walked all the way back to get them(in the rain)
and then did the return walk to the dam (in more rain).
I was quite frankly flabbergasted when finally making visual contact to see
before me an adult female Painted snipe. Got very close to it in the end
before deciding to leave it be(I'll return in the morning!)
As the light was fading I made haste to drive around the corner to check the
creek further upstream again. To my sheer delight there were a pair of
Brolgas.
Our new wetland has water for one day and it's bowled me over!
I'll keep you posted if or when a brolga chick fledges.
Happy days!
Simon Starr,
Pyramid Hill,
Northern Vic.
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