Happy New Year everyone!
I'll write a more complete update a little later, but after seeing the Terek
Sandpiper at the Western Treatment Plant yesterday, we decided to spend our
last few hours looking in various crake spots around Melbourne for Baillon's
Crake. Conditions were almost unbearable at 44 degrees C and very windy. We
checked out the Borrow Pits and Conservation Ponds at the WTP first, with no
success. From there we worked our way through wetlands at Point Cook and
Mount St Joseph's Pond. By now it was around 6:30pm and we had a choice -
should we go to Banyule Flats or Edithvale? Banyule Flats is a great spot,
but did we really fancy wading through reeds in high temperatures and winds
hoping to see a crake. Edithvale is the spot where we've seen more Baillon's
in the past than anywhere else. In good years it was possible to see them
scurrying around on the fringes of the mudflats from the hide quite easily.
However, there has been so much rain and water around and the hide is now
closed, so we weren't really sure what to expect.
In the end, Edithvale won - simply because we wouldn't have to walk as far
in the heat. We got to the hide at around 7:30pm, and realised that we
couldn't really see much from the carpark (in a previous year we have seen a
Painted Snipe from the carpark!) There is a viewing platform near the hide
and from there we could see out across the wetlands, and could see some
promising looking mudflats. The temperature had now dropped to a very
bearable 28 degrees, so we didn't mind spending time here - besides, we
realised that this would be our last birding spot of the year. At 8pm we
heard a Baillon's Crake calling from the reeds immediately to our left (NE
of the platform)! These reeds are outside the fenced wetlands, and are very
thick and very tall (2m or more). After waiting patiently for more than half
an hour, we were finally rewarded with a brief look at our final bird of the
year, Baillon's Crake - bringing our total to 389.
Since we had made no plans for New Year's Eve - fully expecting to be still
out looking for Masked Owls, we weren't really sure what to do now!
Ultimately we managed to crash a friend's New Year's Eve party (thanks
Bill!) and have a well-deserved glass of champagne!
Paul Dodd and Ruth Woodrow
Docklands, Victoria
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