After the windy weekend, this morning Banyule Swamp looked very nice
in the sunshine, with masses of Water Ribbon in vigorous growth and a
wide expanse of open water. Not great masses of ducks, but several
Black Ducks and Chestnut Teal upending and others loafing. Three
Hardhead among the Waer Ribbon clumps - and what was the duck under the
fallen tree out in the middle? There was a solitary Grey Teal on the
fallen tree, but under the tree was a definite single Pink-eared Duck.
Even stern-on, impossible to mistake those bold flank stripes.
Eventually, it briefly looked to its right - ID confirmed by large
eyepatch in pale face and mudflaps on the bill. I've seen them here
before, but by no means a common sighting.
Also about - lots of Australasian Grebe in breeding plumage and two
separate Hoary-Headed Grebes. Black-winged Stilts splashing about in
the shallows too and the two Black Swans sailing about.
Walking eastward upstream from the car-park, I found a nesting pair
of Noisy Miners, a nesting Tawny Frogmouth, and had a brief glimpse of a
Pallid Cuckoo - to judge by sound effects there were several PCs
present, of both sexes. I saw Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes and Grey
Thrushes, and as usual heard Eastern Shrike-tits but couldn't find
them. They were probably on the south side of the billabong. The
flowering Grey Mistletoe in the wattles had attracted New Holland
Honeyeaters as well as the everyday White-plumed HEs and red Wattlebirds.
Anthea Fleming
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