Hi all, Just got back from a quick family holiday to Forbes and Orange (2 nights at each spot) to visit friends and try to photograph Freckled Ducks. Best news was that there were at least 18 Freckleds at Gum Swamp (quite possibly 20 but a couple were a bit out of range and hidden so don’t want to count them). There might easily have been more thoughout the swamp as these were all in fairly close proximity to each other just west of the hide close to the shore in an area without reeds. I was able to get out there on 3 occasions (sunday afternoon 1st Jan, Monday dawn and Monday sunset), and managed a few images that i was happy with although they were still pretty skittish even with alot of patience and a bag hide over me. Summer had definitely arrived with temps in mid/high 30’s while we were there. Mozzies were abundant to say the least and there were also heaps of other ducks – Pink-eared, Blue-billed, Shoveler, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Wood Duck, Aussie and Hoary-headed Grebe etc. Raptor highlight was a Peregrine whizzing through at dusk putting up a flock of Glossy Ibis. I didn’t bother with the inflatable boat in the end as they were quite close to shore and i think it would have been more disruptive than helpful. A couple i was chatting to while out there had seen 5 Superb Parrots just west of the levy bank on the western edge not long before i got there but i didn’t see them again. I did see a flock coming out of Cudal on the drive out there though.
All in all a great trip and the air conditioned cabin on the river at the riverside caravan park in Forbes was great.
When i get some images processed i will share a link.
Cheers David Stowe
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Thanks, David. Ducks still in same spot Friday evening and Saturday morning; had great view of one male with very red bill. Found it best to drive as close as possible and view from car. Yellow-billed spoonbills, shovelers, blue-billed ducks, pink-eared ducks also present.
Carl Weber
Further to my report, I have put some images on my pbase site for anyone interested in having a look.
http://www.pbase.com/davidstowe/freckled_duck
I’ve also updated my Musk Duck gallery with some new images from 2011 replacing some ordinary ones i had there before. Cheers Dave
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================