Tomorrow morning I’m hoping to visit location where Tom Wilson saw a brazen Australian Bittern multiple times this morning and has reported on Birdline NSW. This is my bogey (nemesis!) bird, and I’m prepared to chuck a sickie tomorrow to even the score. I’m not familiar with the Pitt Town Lagoon site, which I understand is huge. If anyone can give me Tom’s contact details off line, or expand for me off line a mud-map for dummies as to where Tom’s description of the site is, it would be greatly appreciated! Will research tonight, but thought I’d get in early on Birding-Aus as I know there are at least a couple of Pitt Town regulars around. Maybe one would like to join me!
John Weigel jweigel@reptilepark.com.au
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About bloody time, John!
Really happy for you and Dave. Congratulations!
Paul Dodd Docklands, Victoria
Well done guys!
Very jealous…
John Tongue Ulverstone, Tas.
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Hi all, Well I’m happy to report that John’s (and my) bogey is no more! We got to Pitt Town Lagoon around 8am to find the lagoon shrouded in mist. On arriving at the mound we found Peter Madvig and Carol & Peter Abbot already scoping the joint – literally! They hadn’t seen any sign of the bittern although all the other reported birds were around including the Freckled Ducks. John and I decided we would try to get through the reeds on the western side of the mound but gave up after about 2 metres as it was way too thick. So we decided to investigate the foreshore reeds. John had waders so he went alot further than i did in my gumboots. But no luck. After regrouping back at the mound and leaving our cameras behind (a sure sign something was going to happen) we decided to walk around the waters edge to the east of the mound. Once again John went ahead in his waders but soon shouted “Bittern!! Bittern!!” Sure enough a large bird flew from the reeds some distance away and out to the treeless island in the lagoon. We had great views for what felt like 10 seconds before it dropped out of sight. We had finally seen an Australasian Bittern!!
Cheers David Stowe
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It’s “working from home” in the academic sector… Australasian Bittern was my final tick for Australia – saw one at Greenfields Wetlands outside Adelaide with my father-in-law. I was foaming at the mouth, pointing at the sky while gibbering incoherently and desperately trying to get the camera on it while he watched bemusedly. The tables were turned an hour later at Parafield when he got to look inside a rare WW2 aircraft. Sadly, I got much better photos of the aircraft… All the best from the cold, dark North. Cheers,
Tony
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Hang on John, I thought you were the boss? Bosses don’t take sickies, they just have meetings with important clients, in my experience…..
Good luck with it.
Yours in all things “green”
John Harris Croydon, Vic Owner – Wildlife Experiences Ecologist/Zoologist Nature Photographer Wildlife Guide wildlifeexperiences@gmail.com 0409090955
President, Field Naturalists Club of Victoria (www.fncv.org.au)