Craigie Reserve, Kanwal

The White-headed Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus is included as a sub-species of Himantopus himantopus, the Black-winged Stilt by Christidis and Boles. The American version is the Black-necked Stilt, Himantopus mexicanus. Given that they all seem to have white heads, black wings and black necks, the common names aren’t particularly imaginative.

There were a small group of them off the shore of Craigie Reserve, this morning. I haven’t seen the huge flocks that we usually see in the estuaries, and thought they had gone outback with the other waders and ducks.

Broome Settlement Ponds

We'd heard that the water corporation had closed access to the sewage ponds, and the birds could now only be viewed from behind the eight foot fence - which wasn't much good for photography - but we thought we'd drive out for a look. When we arrived, the gate was open and noone was around so we ambled in and set oursevles up on the edge of the first pond.

There were literally hundreds of plumed whistling ducks, plus good numbers of pacific black duck and grey teal, and australian pelican. There were around twenty white-headed stilt, included three very young babies at the waters edge at our feet, which was probably why the stilt were chasing any black kite that came too close to the ponds.

Whiskered tern flew across the surface of the water, and common sandpiper foraged at the waters edge.

We were just  settling in for a couple of hours of productive photography, when a voice asked "Do you have permission to be in here?" We confessed, and were told we had to seek permission at the water corp office, though it was highly unlikely that permission would be given. Sure enough, all our rational explanations and emotional pleadings counted for little. Access was denied on the grounds of OHS concerns. This is one of my (many) gripes - the misuse of "occupational health and safety". We don't work there so how can OHS be an issue - if you mean public liability then say so. The end result however was that any future birding at the ponds would be done through the chain link fence.

San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary

San Joaquin is close to Mason Park so I stopped in on my way back and had a look at the first pond near the carpark. There were shovellers on the far side, house finches in the shrubs, quite a few starlings, hummers in the sage garden and several avocet babies. American Avocet chicks leave the nest within 24 hours after hatching. Day-old avocets can walk, swim, and even dive to escape predators. These little guys were foraging quite independently of any adult birds.

Stockton Sand Spit

Red-necked avocet

Recognizing that shorebirds (Charadriiformes) and their wetland habitats are under threat worldwide, three Australian scientists conducted a large-scale aerial shorebird survey, sampling about a third of the Australian continent over a period of 24 years (1983–2006) and found that migratory shorebirds have declined by 73%, and Australian resident shorebirds by 81% in that period.

Of the 10 wetlands supporting the highest number of shorebirds within the survey bands, eight were inland wetlands and only two coastal, emphasising the importance of inland wetlands for shorebirds. Wetland area decreased significantly at four of the 10 main sites. Annual rainfall showed no trends but water extraction for irrigation was substantial for four of the 10 wetlands.

The study found that loss of wetlands due to river regulation is a significant contributor to the drastic decline in shorebird numbers in Australia.

'Long-term trends of shorebird populations in eastern Australia and impacts of freshwater extraction' Silke Nebel, John L. Porter and Richard T. Kingsford Biological Conservation
Volume 141, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 971-980.

Wabma Kadarbu

Wabma Kadarbu Conservation Park protects three examples of artesian mound springs. Water enters the Great Artesian basin on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, and around two million years later bubbles out of fracture zones in the rocks of the Lake Eyre region. The combined action of water, sand, silt and clay and the deposition of limestone from the groundwater forms mounds around the mouth of the spring.

Due to their isolation from other water courses over millions of years, they have developed unique ecology and a spring can support flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world.

Blanche Cup and The Bubbler are active mound springs in the conservation park. Hamilton Hill, a large hill in an otherwise flat landscape, is an extinct mound spring. The Bubbler had a very strong flow of water, and lush greenery alongside its stream. Blanche Cup supported a small wetland.

We pulled in just on sunset. The water was so clear that you could see it bubbling up at the bottom of the pool. The combination of the crusty limestone deposits, the clear running water, and the lush vegetation gave the landscape an 'other world' appearance, especially in the soft light of dusk.

Bird List:

Red-necked Avocet (pictured above)
Black-fronted Dotterel
Willie Wagtail
Zebra Finch