What’s particularly interesting at the Western Treatment Plant is that not only have tens of thousands of ducks left for greener inland pastures (not a single Grey Teal or Pink-eared Duck seen last Monday – often present in thousands – and almost everything else seen in ones and twos other than Black Duck and Chestnut Teal) but so have all the Hoary-headed Grebes (usually hundreds, even thousands), Great Crested Grebes, spoonbills, avocets, Banded Stilts, Cape Barren Geese, and most of the Black-winged Stilts (I saw only one), ibis (only one White Ibis, although tens of Straw-necked remain), herons (only one White-faced) and egrets. It’s quite an exodus. The place looks eerily deserted, with pond after pond entirely bird-free.
Richard
—–Original Message—–
From: Birding-Aus [> Mixed amongst that were the likes of Blue-billed Ducks, Grey, Pacific
>> Black, various Egrets, Herons, Cormorants, shorebirds, coots,
>> swamphens etc as well as occasional Native-hens, Bitterns, Crakes and
>> other rarities that have showed up there.
>>
>> Over recent visits every time I go there though there appear to be
>> less and less birds! Cattle Egrets have colonised the areas around
>> both ponds and appear to have breeding cycles a couple of times a
>> year and then move on.
>>
>> I was amazed yesterday on my way home from Durikai to visit and see
>> so few birds – not a Pink-eared in sight or a Magpie Goose – greatly
>> reduced Whistling-ducks and a tiny smattering of other birds – I
>> noticed some rather horrid green algae covering some of the lake and
>> wondered if the water is affected at some level? There are numbers
>> of Cattle Egret who appear to be in the early stages of a breeding
>> bout but not much else. I do understand that wetland areas can change
>> with climate/environmental issues and this can see variances in
>> numbers but it does seem this terrific spot has lost its appeal for many of the local birds lately ….. any thoughts?
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> David Taylor
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