Fwd: Ewan Maddock Dam, Sunday, Jan 20, 2012 - South-east Queensland

[Jill Dening <>]

Hi All,

This note is for Sunshine Coast birders, in case any of you might be interested in checking out the southern end of Ewan Maddock Dam whilst it's a bit of a hotspot for waterbirds. The Ewan Maddock Dam hasn't been in this condition for nearly twenty years, since it was relegated to a backup water storage, following the establishment of Baroon Pocket Dam. Long ago the water level of the dam used to go up and down with the seasons, and the birdlife was prolific. A few months ago the council lowered the level of the water to carry out work on the dam wall, and so it will probably only be good now until the wet season refills it (if we ever get a wet season!). The birds we saw this morning aren't the full story; the longer you stay, the more you see. You will need a telescope for best results. I stood in one spot beside the Steve Irwin way at the water's edge for over an hour, whilst my husband wandered the path to the carpark, finding relatively few bush birds. If you go in the heat of the day you will probably encounter atmospheric distortion, so better early morning or late afternoon.

Cheers, Jill, with this morning's haul below.

Field notes:
Ewan Maddock Dam, 5.40am - 6.50am. Water level very low, vegetation stressed from lack of rain. Only flowering tree appears to be bloodwood. 22C, cloud 0, wind 0. Jacana had three chicks. Black-necked Stork male. Little Grassbird picked up only by call. Nankeen Night Heron first time seen this site. Estimated abundances of Aust Grebe, Pac Bl Duck, Red-kneed Dot  & Bl Winged Stilt. Other waterbirds counted. 59 species.

Survey_Date	ID_Survey	Species_Id	Common_Name	Sum Of Number_Seen
20/01/2013	884	73	Wandering Whistling-Duck	18
20/01/2013	884	89	Pacific Black Duck	80
20/01/2013	884	92	Grey Teal	11
20/01/2013	884	97	Hardhead	12
20/01/2013	884	98	Australasian Grebe	100
20/01/2013	884	187	Darter	12
20/01/2013	884	188	Little Pied Cormorant	1
20/01/2013	884	191	Little Black Cormorant	6
20/01/2013	884	192	Great Cormorant	20
20/01/2013	884	194	Australian Pelican	5
20/01/2013	884	198	White-faced Heron	3
20/01/2013	884	199	Little Egret	1
20/01/2013	884	204	Great Egret	2
20/01/2013	884	209	Nankeen Night Heron	1
20/01/2013	884	215	Glossy Ibis	2
20/01/2013	884	216	Australian White Ibis	3
20/01/2013	884	218	Royal Spoonbill	2
20/01/2013	884	220	Black-necked Stork	1
20/01/2013	884	263	Purple Swamphen	2
20/01/2013	884	264	Dusky Moorhen	1
20/01/2013	884	267	Eurasian Coot	20
20/01/2013	884	277	Latham's Snipe	5
20/01/2013	884	309	Sharp-tailed Sandpiper	7
20/01/2013	884	320	Comb-crested Jacana	8
20/01/2013	884	328	Black-winged Stilt	50
20/01/2013	884	342	Black-fronted Dotterel	2
20/01/2013	884	344	Red-kneed Dotterel	70
20/01/2013	884	375	Whiskered Tern	40
20/01/2013	884	386	Spotted Turtle-Dove	1
20/01/2013	884	392	Crested Pigeon	1
20/01/2013	884	400	Bar-shouldered Dove	1
20/01/2013	884	418	Galah	1
20/01/2013	884	425	Rainbow Lorikeet	10
20/01/2013	884	426	Scaly-breasted Lorikeet	4
20/01/2013	884	476	Channel-billed Cuckoo	1
20/01/2013	884	506	Laughing Kookaburra	2
20/01/2013	884	514	Dollarbird	1
20/01/2013	884	532	Variegated Fairy-wren	5
20/01/2013	884	562	White-browed Scrubwren	1
20/01/2013	884	584	Brown Thornbill	1
20/01/2013	884	605	Noisy Friarbird	1
20/01/2013	884	608	Blue-faced Honeyeater	1
20/01/2013	884	610	Noisy Miner	2
20/01/2013	884	615	Lewin's Honeyeater	1
20/01/2013	884	640	White-throated Honeyeater	9
20/01/2013	884	683	Eastern Yellow Robin	1
20/01/2013	884	715	Rufous Whistler	1
20/01/2013	884	730	Leaden Flycatcher	1
20/01/2013	884	734	Magpie-lark	10
20/01/2013	884	741	Spangled Drongo	2
20/01/2013	884	742	Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike	1
20/01/2013	884	745	Cicadabird	1
20/01/2013	884	750	Olive-backed Oriole	1
20/01/2013	884	759	Grey Butcherbird	2
20/01/2013	884	761	Pied Butcherbird	1
20/01/2013	884	762	Australian Magpie	2
20/01/2013	884	774	Torresian Crow	3
20/01/2013	884	837	Little Grassbird	1
20/01/2013	884	842	Golden-headed Cisticola	1

-- 
Jill Dening
PO Box 362
10 Piat Place
Beerwah Qld 4519
Australia 
(All mail to PO box please)
26° 51' 41"S	152° 56' 00"E
07 5494 0994
0419 714405

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