Jervis Bay

[Peter Fullagar <>]

A couple of interesting observations last week at Jervis Bay.

On Lake McKenzie, in the Booderee Botanic Gardens, there was a large flock of Hardhead (count of 213 on 21/9 in the mid afternoon and 224 early morning on 22/9). Males were in splendid plumages and occasionally brief pair-formation displays occurred. Presumably this large flock was able to find sufficient food in the lake, despite the low water level. Of slightly more interest was the fact that there were two Freckled Ducks amongst them. I judged both to be males although they were not showing any obvious redness of bill. I was using binoculars and could not examine them closely.  However, they were large billed birds and showed, in my opinion, all the characteristics of males including the tell-tale traces of facial darkness at the bases of their bills. The only other noteworthy species present in the Gardens was a group of a least 4 Figbird.


Peter Fullagar