Dear Birders,
I had a business meeting in Geelong on Tuesday so decided to have a days
birding at Werribee on Monday en route. Then the Hudwit seemed in imminent
danger of departing so I decided to come home (to Sydney) via Adelaide in the
hope of catching it before it left. I had heard that Adelaide has a population
of Barbary Doves so that became a secondary reason for visiting the city of
churches.
Werribee was, as always, brilliant. 75 species seen with highlights being
Australian Spotted Crake, White-winged Black-tern and Striated Fieldwren. There
were a number of raptors showing, wonderfully fat Red-necked Stints in breeding
plumage ready to head off on migration and lots of Pink-eared Ducks. The usual
Freckled Ducks were missing from their rock in the first pond off Beach Road.
On the way to picking up the key for entry to the Dry Creek salt farm in
Adelaide I diverted to Salisbury Downs (a northern suburb of Adelaide) to visit
a site alleged to be a haunt of Barbary Dove. I had been directed to Roscommon
St where a friend of my informant has seen the birds regularly for some
considerable time. Immediately on stopping there seemed to be pigeons
everywhere! Lots of crested pigeons and Spotted Doves sat on the local fences.
As I got out of the car more or less at the corner of Roscommon and Waterloo
Sts at 8:15 am on Wednesday 16th there were 8 Barbary Doves on the power lines
in Waterloo St. They soon flew off and I didn't see any more in the local park.
After picking up the key to the salt fields I headed off to seek the Hudwit.
Another great days birding in a wonderful site! 47 species sighted but
unfortunately no Hudwit. Around 50 black -tailed Godwits flew into a spit near
the twin bridges. Many of these were magnificently coloured up but none looked
like possible Hudwits. They were disturbed at one stage and all flew off to the
centre track islands - they all showed a generally white underwing with a
leading black edge indicating that they were all Black-tails. It seems that the
Hudwit has already departed or has at least abandoned roosting with the
Black-tails.
Many thanks to the numerous respondents to my enquiries about both the Hudwit
and the Dove.
Regards
Peter Marsh
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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