|
Laurie,
Striated Herons do regularly inhabit freshwater
environments. They have been observed 110 km upstream from the mouth of
the Brisbane River (I. Gynther 'A Striated Heron Butorides striatus
Inhabiting a Freshwater Section of the Brisbane River' Australian Bird
Watcher 1995, 16: 145-151).
In the Clarence Valley, NSW, we regularly have them
at Grafton and a pair nests at Lilydale, west of Copmanhurst, well into fresh
water. A number of years ago I saw one at Little Dandahra Creek in
Gibraltar Range National Park. Although an extremely unusual
location it is only 20 km as the heron flies from the nesting pair at
Lilydale. Glenn Holmes unkindly said to me "There are some records
best forgotten" but I know what I saw and eliminated all the other possibilities
from consideration. If I had seen it at Wooli or Red Rock I would have had
no hesitation in calling it. It had the grey plumage and yellow legs of
the Striated Heron.
Regards
Greg
|
