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It seems a while since anyone
has reported on the W.T.P.
The deluge in February has
changes some of the coast line and I think this has either confused me
in finding the birds or has confused the roosting habits of the birds.
We had a most interesting trip
there today in cool weather and very interesting light. The omens seemed good
when a couple of Peregrine?, they seemed too big for Hobbys, whizzed by.
The water was gun-metal grey and that highlighted the colors of some of the
birds, in particular the Pink-eared Duck, the stripes were very sharp.
We started at the Conservation Lagoons, there were a few Sharp-tailed
Sandpipers in breeding plumage about but not much else, the 2nd Lagoon was quite
empty and very dry. Onto the Borrow Pits and there were many Red-kneed dotterel,
a few Black-winged Stilts and many Whistling Kite. On the top lagoons the
Musk duck were still putting on a great show with water flicking and very
aggressive behavior. Plenty of Teal, Pacific Black and Hard-heads.
We added Black-shouldered Kite and Brown Falcon to the list .
Has anyone seen any birds
roosting on the strange poles on South Road?
Welcome Swallows and
Fairy Martins were hanging around a couple of the culverts.
Around to the mouth of the
Little River, the little drive-in area has changed, the sand-bars do not seem as
attractive to the birds. Although the tide was out there did not appear to
be very many birds in front of the Bird-hide.
Around past Walsh's Lagoon,
again packed with swans, many duck and some Red-necked stints, Sharp tails and a
couple of Curlew Sandpipers not showing breeding plumage. There were few Godwits
in great breeding plumage, I think they were all Black-tailed.
At Paradise Road Lagoons there
were Red-necked Avocet, Cape Barren Geese, lots of Pink-ears,
Shovelers,Teal. There are now a small number of Shelduck
about and there was one solitary Glossy Ibis.
Around Lake Borrie,no Freckled
Duck,but the other species of ducks were in their
thousands. Onto the little cove about 100meteres east of the gate to
the little rocky inlet; we saw many Red-necked Stints and more
Sharpies. No Knots!
After doing battle with that
wretched lock at the gate onto Beach Road our trip to Kirk Point was rewarded by
the numerous Golden Plover in fabulous breeding plumage, they were sitting
on the rocks with a few Common Tern, Pacific Gulls, and Crested Tern, by now we
had Little Pied and Pied, Little Black and Black Cormorants to our list.
A quick look at Murtcaim.
we saw more Sharp Tailed Sandpipers, Red-necked stints on the
3rd lagoon in
the T-section and a few Common Greenshanks, Yellow-billed
Spoonbills and more swans.
Unfortunately we did not have
as much time as we would liked but Cisticola, Chats, pelicans,
Yellow-rumped Thornbills, Swamp hens, coots and plenty of Hoary-headed
Grebe and the other usual birds, this meant we had a wonderful
morning.
Shirley
Cameron
Werribee
3030
03 9741 2997
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