Hi Simon and all,
Report from sunny Mildura in NW Victoria - holiday destination of the
Freckled Duck!!!
First time for a while, I ventured out to the Mildura WW Treatment plant
this morning. This has a 1.5km x 300m settling pond surrounded by medium
density woodland and some Mallee scrub. It is about 3kms North of the
centre of Mildura and quite close to the Murray River. As I live only about
400 metres from one end of the overall treatment plant property, I call this
my "home block". My total species on this "block" in three years is now up
to 113.
In approx. two hours this morning, on my own, I totted up 59 species just
around the settling pond and adjacent bushland. Highlights were return of
the Freckled Ducks - around 70 in total, and having Musk Duck, Blue-billed
Duck, Aust Shoveller, Freckled Duck and Pink-eared all together at once -
along with some more common species. List follows:
Freckled Duck (~70)
Blue-billed Duck (5)
Musk Duck (pair)
Black Swan (dozens, many breeding)
Aust Shelduck (dozens)
Aust Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Aust Shoveller (~10)
Grey Teal (hundreds)
Pink-eared Duck (~200)
Hardhead (~50)
Aust Grebe
Hoary-headed Grebe
Darter
Little Pied Cormorant
Littel Black Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Pelican (~70)
White-faced Heron
Great Egret
White Ibis
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Black Kite
Whistling Kite (common here, but had 9 together in 2 adjacent dead trees)
Swamp Harrier
Purple Swamphen
Black-tailed Native Hen
Eurasian Coot (hundreds)
Black-winged Stilt
Black-fromted Dotterel
Rock Dove
Crested Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Little Corella
Criimson Rosella (Yellow - flavescens)
Red-rumped Parrot
Kookaburra
Rainbow Bee-eater
Superb Fairy-wren
Striated Pardalote
Weebill
Red Wattlebird
Little Friarbird
Noisy Miner (hence few other HE's)
White-plumed Honeyeater
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Magpie-lark
Willie Wagtail
Dusky Woodswallow
Magpie
Aust Raven
Little Raven
White-winged Chough
Welcome Swallow
Clamourous Reed-warbler
Little Grassbird
Blackbird
Starling
Regular friends I missed this morning are the White-browed Babblers of which
there are two family groups in this bush area.
Another spot I regularly visit is the Riverside Golf Club about 6 kms NE of
Mildura (yes, I'm a golfer too!). There is a resident Buff-banded Rail at
the billabong on the 7th hole. It is quite shy, but I have seen it three
times in the last 6 weeks.
Also recently I have added Regent Parrot and Major Mitchell Cockatoo to my
2004 list. The Parrots were seen flying over the Calder Highway not far
from the Hattah NP turnoff and the Cockatoos flying over the Robinvale to
Swan Hill road near Boundary Bend.
Bob Cook
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