Tuggerah Wetlands

Red-kneed Dotterel

The Central Coast Group of Birding NSW  visited McPherson Road Swamp and Pioneer Dairy yesterday. Arriving at the swamp there were Dollar Birds perched on the wires and two Whipbirds wresting on the ground under dense shrubs. Golden-headed Cisticolas and Tawny Grassbirds called from the reeds, and Superb Fairywrens scolded from the bushes along the track.

Tawny Grassbird

A resident in one of the houses overlooking the water had a bird feeder on the fence, which had attracted numbers of Chestnut-breasted Manikin and Red-browed Finch.

Chestnut-breasted Manikin

Cattle Egret,  Eastern Great Egret and an Intermediate Egret fished along the shore. Amongst the more common ducks was a Hardhead, but sign of the Pink-eared Duck sighted there recently.

Hardhead

We flushed three Brown Quail, and watched two Latham's Snipe take off from nearby for safer locations on the far side of the water. Several Black-fronted Dotterel were content to stay put.

Latham's Snipe

Black-fronted Dotterel

At Pioneer Dairy there were good numbers of ibis, spoonbills, egrets, moorhens, swamp hens and ducks. Channel-billed Cuckoos and Figbirds flew to and from the giant fig trees. Raptors included Australian Kestrel and White-bellied Sea Eagle. A lone Australian Pipit his in the grass. Perhaps the 'bird of the day' was a substantial flock of Plumed Whistling Duck.

Hunter Wetlands Centre

On my way back to Uni at lunchtime I stopped in at Nourish at the wetlands to kill two birds with one stone – if that is not an inappropriate expression to use here. While the facilities for humans continue to improve, and it is a very pleasant lunch spot for anyone wishing to re-charge before the afternoon onslaught, it seems to now be primarily a refuge for Australian White Ibis. The stupid birds took to the air in vast noisy flocks as I approached within 200m taking with them the birds I was hoping to see.

There were good numbers of ducks, including:

Hardhead

Pacific Black Duck

Wandering Whistling ducks and Chestnut Teal

Shortland, Newcastle

Dusky Moorhen

Magpie Geese

Buff-banded Rail

White-breasted Woodswallow

Freckled Duck

Australian Ibis

Australian Darter

Lots of babies and young birds at the Hunter Wetlands Centre yesterday. Good to spend a day outdoors – we did have to wait out a few showers in the hides but it was ‘fine’ for the most part.

Horrific stories of the floods in Queensland on the news. The impact on people and their property is devastating, but many of our native animals will also be impacted. Many species will have found higher ground but ground-dwelling fauna such as reptiles and small mammals, particularly those living in burrows along the rivers may not have survived. The effects will be long term: vast tracts of riparian vegetation have been submerged or swept away, floodplains will be covered with silt, trees have been dislodged and fallen timber swept downstream.  However for the birds and animals that survive the flooding, the water does bring with it a number of positive effects. Conditions can be better than before with water channels flushed and opened up, seeds dispersed, and habitats opened up.

In 1974 we were living and working in Brisbane, in flood affected areas of Milton, St Lucia and Indooroopilly, so my thoughts are very much with the people who are dealing with the 2011 floods.

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.

University of Newcastle

Dusky Moorhen

Hardhead

Magpie Goose

The University is on what was originally part of the extensive Hunter River Estuary wetlands, and still retains ponds and swamps, which after the month of rain are brimming with water and full of overflow birds from the Hunter Wetlands Centre on the other side of Sandgate Road.

The swamps are the source of the giant mosquitoes that terrorise visitors and new students but they also make for a wonderful campus environment with pleasant lunchtime walks – fully coated in repellent, of course.

Newport Bay, California

After a stimulating and informative New Media Consortium conference at Disneyland I'm on the Balboa Penninsula in Orange County. I took an evening stroll along the harbour wall to check out the difference in birdlife in my first summer visit. Two great blue herons flew into a huge palm tree for the night, severel black crowned night herons were on their way somewhere, and a green heron headed towards the back bay. Barn swallows flittered over the water and perched on boat rigging. Snowy egret foraged along the tide line and displayed on the bait barge, and a great egret flew overhead. Brown pelican formed a giant V in the sky, before finding a row boat to  roost on, and double-breasted cormorants perched on mooring buoys. Western gulls and forster's and caspian terns circled the harbour, fishing in the last of the light.

Tarro

Indecision - “I’ll land here, no I won’t, yes I will, no I won’t”

Duck!

He seemed to be managing OK with half his top beak missing.

Blackbutt Reserve

I took my sandwich to Blackbutt Reserve and enjoyed some rare sunshine for an hour, before heading back to work. It was nice to have birds approaching me, rather than flying away too :-)

• Black Swan
• Australian Wood Duck or Maned Duck, pair
• Pacific Black Duck
• Swamp Hen
• Australian Wood Duck or Maned Duck, male

Walka Waterworks

Not a lot is known about Musk Duck's breeding habits. The breeding season varies with rainfall and waterlevels, but is typically between July and January, with the greatest number of clutches laid in September or October. The female chooses a secluded spot and builds a rough nest from trampled reeds, pulling more reeds over the nest to form a canopy. Clutch size is unknown but believed to be around 3 or 4 eggs. In most cases only one chick survives. They hatch already covered in dark brown down and are able to swim straight away, and dive within a few days.

This little guy was very cute. We didn't see him riding on his mum, but he followed her closely, diving at one point, and endearingly rising up to flap his tiny wings.

San Joaquin Marsh

The stiff-tailed ducks (Anatidae: Oxyurini) include some rather distinctive birds, including our local musk duck and blue-billed duck. The female's stiff tail can be seen in the top photograph, spread out behind her. The tail can also be raised to a vertical position. Stiff-tailed ducks generally inhabit freshwater lakes and marshes. They are foot-propelled diving birds, and their legs are set far back, making them awkward on land, so they rarely leave the water. They aren't often seen in flight and are believed to travel at night.

They are known for their unusual courtship displays involve drumming noises from inflatable throat-sacs, head throwing, and erecting short crests.

There are only two species of stiff-tailed ducks in the United States. The Ruddy Duck is the most common and is found year round in lakes and ponds on the West Coast. The Masked Duck is the other stiff-tailed duck but it spends its time in warmer areas of the country such as southern Florida and Texas.

Eyre Creek Channels

Pied Honeyeater

Pink-eared Duck (by Alwyn)

We drove to Eyre Creek, where the dry season crossing was covered with water and a detour advised. We paused to take a swim in the crisply cold water and to watch the fairy martins flying in and out of their mud nests, then turned back a few kms to one of the channels where a larger flat area was available for camping. In the next swale a billabong was filled with water so we had the best of both worlds.

A square-tailed kite was nesting, and honeyeaters were feeding on the emu bushes. A promising sunset ended up not delivering the colours I'd hoped for, so I opted for an early night and and early rise. On packing up in the morning we drove over to the billabong, where we found water birds, raptors and/or bush birds occupying every ecological niche. It was great to see pink-eared ducks in such numbers, and to find two different species of dotterel. The sight of a tern surprised those of us who had always associated them with the beach.

The detour around Eyre Creek had us driving alongside the water for much of the way, with several stops as we saw birds in the trees, or glimpsed action on the water's surface.

Bird list:

Pink-eared Duck
Pied Honeyeater
Chirruping Wedgebill
Cinnamon Quail Thrush
Crimson Chat
Orange Chat
Crested Pigeon
Diamond Dove
Budgerigar
Zebra Finch
Pacific Heron
Great Egret
Masked Woodswallow
Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo
Galah
Little Corella
Hardhead
Grey Teal
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Square-tailed Kite
Red-Kneed Dotterel
Black-fronted Dotterel
Little Black Cormorant
Caspian Tern
Australian Pipit
White-plumed Honeyeater
Fairy Martin
Willie Wagtail
Magpie Lark
Australian Kestrel
Australasian Magpie

Purni Bore

Grey Teal at sunrise (by Alwyn)

Spotted Crake (by Alwyn)

Black-tailed Native Hen

By the time we reached Purni Bore, it was hot, there were thousands of bush flies in my ears, up my nose and filling the space between my eyes and my sun glasses. (I have a number of photos that feature extreme close-ups of the flies). Alwyn went birding and was rewarded with great photos of an Australian (Spotted) Crake and a Spotless Crake. I sat in the shade of the tank-stand where a juvenile western gerygone came obligingly close, pecking on the ground under an acacia, and trillers stayed out of camera range in the shrubs.

The bodies of two camels lay together just off the road. Unfortunately the only camels we saw on the trip were dead or captive.

Overnight I heard a noise outside and looked out of the tent to see a dingo 2 metres away. He had found something to eat in the ashes of a previous camper's fire, and stood there for some minutes finishing his snack.

The morning dawned cool and clear. Just on first light my dingo howled nearby, and was answered by another in the dunes - their conversation continued for some moments. Wonderful! A light mist hovered over the billabong and the early morning light reflected off the reed beds turned its surface to liquid gold. A large group of native hens went about their business, galahs and corellas filled the trees and ducks floated motionless in imitation of pool ornaments.

Purni Bore is the result of drilling by the French Petroleum Company in 1963. It was capped and sealed when they abandoned oil exploration, but over time the wellhead corroded and water flowed out of the bore at a rate of up to 18 litres per second, creating an artificial wetland. The bore was capped in 1987 when the excessive flow was found to be affecting the flow of the nearby Dalhousie Springs. Travellers used to be able to swim at Purni Bore, but since the water flow was reduced reeds have grown along the bore drain. Now a sufficient flow is maintained to sustain the wildlife that has come to rely on this permanent water source. We saw footprints of dingoes, kangaroos, wallabies and camels, and many lizards and small mamals.

Water flows out of the borehead at 85C. Almost hot enough to make tea!

Bird List:

Black-tailed Native Hen
Australian Crake
Grey Teal
White-headed Stilt
Black-fronted Dotterel
Spotless Crake
White-winged Triller
White-winged Fairywren
Western Gerygone
Galah
Little Corella

Courtship Display

0022_1317 Male Blue Bill Duck, originally uploaded by alwynsimple.

The Blue Bills have been displaying too far out in the dam for me to get a photo, but Alwyn had better luck. The bird here has been flicking water overhimself with his bill. He then swims with his bill pressed to his breast.