Hi all
I paid a brief visit to Mason Park in Strathfield (western Sydney) this
morning (Sun 19 Feb). The wetland at Mason Park is still not very wet and
most of the water, and thus birds, is at the southern end. Scattered around
on the dry mud, were 8 scattered Back Fronted Dotterel, a single Golden
Plover and plenty of Masked lapwing. In the deeper water along the western
edge, 2 Royal Spoonbills fed amongst the Ibis. On the dyke that runs across
the wetland, there was a single Lathams Snipe - the first I think I have
seen this summer, so nothing like leaving it a bit late! There were no
smaller sandpipers though - I assume that the site is too dry for them this
year. (Does anybody know why it is so dry? - I would have thought with all
the rain we've had, it would have caught and retained some water,
irrespective of tidal flows. The adjacent sports fields are certainly soggy
in places)
As one crosses round the southern end of the wetland (past the electricity
pylons), there is a patch of long rank grasses and in this I encountered a
family party(?) of Brown Quail (2 bigger birds, 3 smaller birds). After
having them in the long (but thick) grass at my feet and then them flushing,
one of the adults came out of the long grass again into a patch that only
came 1/2 way up, so I got a good view of the head and back.
As I was in the area, I checked out the Triangle Pond in the Sydney Olympic
Parklands. This is very full, but nowhere near as smelly as it was when I
last visited. Lots of Chestnut Teal here, plus some very lively and vocal
Australian Reed Warblers but no exposed mud. A group (or two groups) of
about 10 Black Faced Cuckoo Shrike was busy in the trees around the pond,
there were several Figbirds (not a species I would associate with this are)
and a Dollarbird called from the trees too. Just round the corner at the
Bicentennial Park waterbird refuge, there was another single Golden Plover,
lots of Pied Stilt, a big group (15) of Black Fronted Dotterels and lots
more ducks. At the far end from the hide was a group of 6 Egrets, which all
looked like Great Egret at that distance.
Nowhere around any of the sites did I see any Fairy Martins, so I assume
that they have left for the summer.
Cheers
Tom Wilson
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