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A really nice start to the year for me has
been down at the Wonga Wetlands, just west of Albury on the Murray River
floodplain (see previous posts on archive for directions to this public
land). I recommend a visit at the moment for any locals with a spare hour
or two, or anyone passing through the area. A couple of hours yesterday
afternoon (1/1/05), an hour this morning and a couple of hours this
afternoon yielded almost 80 birds (see below), reflecting the high
diversity of waterbirds at this site, plus a sprinkling
of bushbirds. There was also a fox, couple of hares, rabbits,
several red-bellied black snakes, yellow-bellied water skink and peron's tree
frog. There are probably dozens of Latham's Snipe there, together with
lots of waterfowl breeding, and with the low water levels it is starting to
feel a bit like it did a few years ago when we had the likes of Little Bittern
and Lewin's Rail, so fingers crossed! Who knows, a Painted Snipe might even
appear!
Regards, Matt Herring, Albury.
The full list is below but the highlights for
me were:
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
(12)
Latham's Snipe (9+)
Spotted Crake (1)
Black-tailed Native-hen
(10)
young Pink-eared Duck
(1)
Musk Duck (2)
Intermediate Egret
(3)
Dollarbird (3)
Azure Kingfisher (2,
br)
Little Lorikeet (4)
Brown Treecreeper (1)
White-bellied Sea Eagle
(2)
Australian Wood Duck
Musk Duck
Black Swan
Australian Shelduck
Pacific Black Duck
Australasian Shoveler
Pink-eared Duck
Grey Teal
Chestnut Teal
Hoary-headed Grebe
Australasian Grebe
Darter
Great Cormorant
Little Black Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Australian Pelican
White-necked Heron
White-faced Heron
Great Egret
Intermediate Egret
Australian White Ibis
Royal Spoonbill
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Whistling Kite
Collared Sparrowhawk
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Australian Hobby
Australian Spotted Crake
Dusky Moorhen
Purple Swamphen
Eurasian Coot
Black-tailed Native-hen
Latham's Snipe
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Black-winged Stilt
Red-kneed Dotterel
Black-fronted Plover
Masked Lapwing
Peaceful Dove
Crested Pigeon
Galah
Long-billed Corella
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Little Lorikeet
Yellow Rosella
Eastern Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
Laughing Kookaburra
Azure Kingfisher
Sacred Kingfisher
Dollarbird
Brown Treecreeper
Superb Fairy-wren
Striated Pardalote
White-browed Scrubwren
White-throated Gerygone
Little Friarbird
White-plumed Honeyeater
Crested Shrike-tit
Restless Flycatcher
Willie Wagtail
Grey Fantail
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
White-breasted Woodswallow
Magpie Lark
Australian Magpie
Australian Raven
Little Raven
Red-browed Finch
European Goldfinch
Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin
Tree Martin
Clamorous Reed-warbler
Little Grassbird
Golden-headed Cisticola
Common Starling
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