LAKE CARGELLIGO & GRIFFITH DISTRICTS 10-13 MARCH 2006
During the period 10-13 March 2006, I travelled to Griffith to attend the
BIGnet Meeting (the NSW Bird Interest Group Network), and stayed overnight
at Lake Cargelligo enroute. Throughout the period, the days were hot,
generally 35-38 C and there was little bush bird movement or calling at all
during the days. The obligatory stop at the Parkes STW saw the usual huge
number of waterbirds on the ponds, plenty of Pink-ear and Shoveller, a few
Black-tailed Native-hen, Sharp-tailed and Marsh Sandpipers, 2 Avocets,
White-breasted Woodswallows and Fairy Martins.
The first night I stayed with friends whose house overlooks Sheet of Water,
one of the three lakes that makes up the Lake Cargelligo system. The Lake
was dry for the past two years but filled again in November following good
rains in the Lachland River catchment. There were plenty of waterbirds here
and I spent an hour or two in the evening and then again the following
morning checking on the birds. The highlights included 2 Brolga, a flock of
690 Australian Shelduck, 3000+ Pelicans feeding on fish, their comings anbd
goings seemed endless; There were about 1000 ducks, in order of abundance
being Grey Teal, Black Duck, Wood Duck, Pinkear, Shoveler, Hardhead and
Chestnut Teal; 150+ Sharp-tailed Sandpiper & 4+ Marsh Sandpiper; Red-kneed &
Black-fronted Plover, c 60 Avocet & 200 Black-winged Stilt, Great Egret,
Royal & Yellow-billed Spoonbill, a few Whiskered Tern and Silver Gull, an
adult White-bellied Sea-eagle and a Whistling Kite.
At Griffith, after the afternoon session of the Conference, a group of us
let by Col Sell & Neville James went to look at Campbell's Swamp, Griffith,
an area that received an "Environmental Flow" in January. The vegetation was
fairly dense and we did not see the Freckled Duck, Spotless & Spotted Crakes
and Australian Bittern's that the locals have been seeing, but we did see
more Pink-ear, Stubble Quail, Brown Quail were heard calling, Little
Grassbird & Reedwarblers, good views of a Hobby & Black-shouldered Kite,
both Australasian & Hoary-headed Grebe with dependant young, Coot and
Black-tailed Native-hen, White-necked Heron and Great Egret.
After the Conference concluded on the Sunday afternoon some of us stayed on
and again led by Col Sell, we visited the Griffith Golf Course. Where from
the comfort of electric golf buggies we checked up on all the birds feeding
in the shade of the large trees of the well watered golf course. These
included Grey-crowed Babbler, Apostlebird & Chough; Mulga, Blue Bonnet,
Red-rumped & Ringnecked Parrots and about 12 Major Mitchell Cockatoos,
Common Bronzewing and Eastern Rosella. From here we went to Wattle Dam in
Binya SF and set up our chairs, got out the food and drink and settled in
for a few hours of bird watching at this waterhole.
Birds that came to drink included Dusky Woodswallow, but both Masked &
White-browed Woodswallows made low passes over the Dam; White-eared,
Striped, Brown-headed, White-plumed & Spiney-cheeked Honeyeaters all came to
drink at the dam; Galah, Red-rumped, Mulga & c. 20 Turquoise Parrots also
came to drink and just at dusk some other smaller parrots (2-4) which we
identified as Blue-winged Parrots by their calls also came to drink but the
light was fading however Chris Brandis saw 2 Blue-wings at the same location
a few days before. Other visitors included Diamond, Bar-shoulder & Peaceful
Doves, Common Bronzewing, Grey-shrike Thrush, Chough, Striated Pardalote and
Southern Whiteface and a group of Diamond Firetails. Birds present around th
dam included White-browed Babbler, Brown Treecreeper, Magpie, Tree Martin &
Swallow.
The few stops on my return trip home produced no new birds but the members
of the Murrumbidgee Field Naturalist made mine and other conference
delegates' trip to Griffith a great experience. Bill Moller did a great job
in organising the Conference on behalf of MFN, and the local members were
great guides to the birding spots.
Alan Morris
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