Over the past couple of days I've had the opportunity to survey several
wetlands in north east Victoria, between Rutherglen and the Ovens River. With
good summer rains many of the wetlands are full or near capacity and are
brimming with birdlife. All wetlands are on private property and many
landholders expect the water to remain through winter (providing we get winter
rain!).
Highlights were seeing hundreds of Grey Teal (some pairs with young), Pacific
Black Ducks, Australasian Shoveler, Australian Shelduck and Australian Wood
Duck (some with young) on one wetland, 50+ Australasian Grebe, 13 Pelicans,
Great, Little Black, Pied and Little Pied Cormorants, Purple Swamphens, Black
Swans (one on a nest), Royal and Yellow-billed Spoonbills, Straw-necked and
Australian White Ibis, 4 species of Egret - Great, Intermediate, Little and
Cattle, White-faced Heron (47 on one wetland), White-necked Herons and
Black-fronted Dotterels.
Raptors included: Little Eagles, Swamp Harrier, Whistling Kite, Brown Falcon,
Nankeen Kestrel and Black-shouldered Kites.
Grey-crowned Babblers were common in suitable habitat, mostly along roadsides.
Other birds were, a pair of Sacred Kingfishers, Kookaburra, Eastern Rosella,
Yellow Rosella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Galah, Little Corella, Red-rumped
Parrot, Willie Wagtails, Magpie, Welcome Swallow, Little Friarbirds, Noisy
Friarbird, Red Wattlebird, White-plumed Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Restless
Flycatcher, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Magpie Lark, Australian Raven,
Apostlebird, White-winged Chough, Dusky Woodswallow, Tree Martins, Brown Quail,
Masked Lapwing, Crested Pigeon, Yellow-rumped Thornbill.
Regards,
Mark
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