Last month we had a wonderful visit to the Western Water Treatment Plant at Werribee. As expected, we didn’t see any Orange-bellied Parrots, but there were many unexpected sightings.
Blue-winged Parrots … not OBP’s
The first highlight was a large flock of the striking Zebra Finches, making us feel we were in Central Australia. With their stubby, bright orange beaks and legs, someone suggested they were a bit like miniature Puffins certainly the closest to a Puffin look-alike in this country.
Zebra Finches
A multitude of Fairy Martins, mixed in with the more common Welcome Swallows, was also an unusual sight for us.
A mass of mainly Martins
There was more to come, with a Sea-Eagle and baby, a number of different raptors, one very handsome Cape Barren Goose, and finally about 60 waders, all Red-necked Stints.
Sea-Eagle
Cape Barren Goose
Red-necked Stints
We were unsure if they had wintered here or were very early arrivals back from Siberia. However a couple had the remains of the coloured neck feathers that give them their name, so perhaps they were newly arrived. This is breeding plumage and we don’t usually see it here as they are in their non-breeding phase.
Checking out the Red-necked Stints
A fascinating site was seeing about 7 tiny baby ducks falling/pushed/jumping from a nesting box and then swimming in a line after their parents. Another pair of ducks appeared to immediately take possession of the nesting box.
At 4.30pm we were only about half way along our chosen route, but most of us reluctantly had to leave. One carload went on until the light faded, and saw another four different species, including the largest number of Black-fronted Dotterels (23) any of us had seen.
Black-shouldered Kite
Brown Falcon
Crested Pigeon
Pelicans
Terns and Gulls
We recorded 62 species, making it a most rewarding day.
Next month there will be no Angair bird walk, but interested members may like to participate in the last Birdlife Australia Orange-bellied Parrot survey for the year, on the weekend of September 10-11. If so, contact Craig Morley, Bellarine Peninsula Orange-bellied Parrot Regional Group Co-ordinator 5221 4604, mobile 042 919 6634, craigmorley5@bigpond.com.
Below is a list of all the birds identified:
- Cape Barren Goose
- Black Swan
- Australian Shelduck
- Pacific Black Duck
- Chestnut Teal
- Blue-billed Duck
- Musk Duck
- Hoary-headed Grebe
- Little Pied Cormorant
- Great Cormorant
- Pied Cormorant
- Australian Pelican
- Great Egret
- White-faced Heron
- Australian Ibis
- Yellow-billed Spoonbill
- Australian Kite
- Wedge-tailed Eagle
- Swamp Harrier
- Black Kite
- Whistling Kite
- White-bellied Sea-Eagle
- Australasian Swamphen
- Eurasian Coot
- Pied Stilt
- Masked Lapwing
- Red-capped Plover
- Black-fronted Dotterel
- Red-necked Stint
- Silver Gull
- Whiskered Tern
- Great Crested Tern
- Crested Pigeon
- Australian Kestrel
- Brown Falcon
- Galah
- Blue-winged Parrot
- Red-rumped Parrot
- Superb Fairywren
- Noisy Miner
- Red Wattlebird
- White-fronted Chat
- White-browed Scrubwren
- Yellow-rumped Thornbill
- Australian Magpie
- Black-faced Cuckooshrike
- Gray Shrikethrush
- Willie-wagtail
- Magpie-lark
- Raven sp.
- Scarlet Robin
- Eurasian Skylark
- Welcome Swallow
- Fairy Martin
- Tree Martin
- Little Grassbird
- Golden-headed Cisticola
- Silver-eye
- Common Myna
- Australasian Pipit
- House Sparrow
- Zebra Finch
Ellinor Campbell
Photos by Margaret Lacey