Hi Alan,
Following information provided by June Harris to
Russell Jago, we (Russell, Val, Warren Thompson and I) checked out the wetland
on McMahons Road, Tatham last Thursday June 9. We observed 8 Freckled
Ducks, 1 Blue-billed Duck (immature male - small amount of blue on bill),
24 Australasian Shovelers, 66 Pink-eared Ducks, 2 Musk Ducks, 10 Glossy Ibis, 1
Comb-crested Jacana and 1 Hoary-headed Grebe, as well as the more common
waterbirds. Also near the Lismore-Coraki Road on the Tatham Road we saw
80+ Chestnut-breasted Mannikins. They day before we had observed 300+ of
these mannikins on Woodford Island in the Clarence.
On the same day (June 9) we had 31+ Hoary-headed
Grebes, 16+ Great Crested Grebes, 3+ Pink-eared Ducks, 1 Yellow-billed
Spoonbill, 1 adult Comb-crested Jacana and 8+ Musk Ducks at the large dam
at the Main Camp Tea Tree Plantation. There were also 11+ Plumed
Whistling-Ducks (our first record for site), on the small overflow dam opposite
the large dam.
The previous week (June 2) at the dam on Camira
Creek we recorded a Turquoise Parrot, an adult Spotted Harrier and a pair of
Swamp Harriers (the size difference and colouration was very obvious) in display
- presenting talons to each other. There were also 3+ Comb-crested Jacanas
and 2 female Musk Ducks present.
All of these sites are on the New South Wales North
Coast (for Birding-ausers).
Regards
Greg
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