Gary Eggins, Warren Thompson and Val and I took a quick trip to Casino, north coast NSW, today in an attempt to see the 4 Australian Painted Snipe reported there by Steven McBride on August 10 and Phil Gilmour and Carole Helman on August 14. Warren, Val and I had seen the species before but Gary had not. We arrived at the Barling Steet wetlands at 1200 hrs and spent the next 2.5 hours scanning the mud and low vegetation for the snipe. Unfortunately we did not see them. We did however see a group of 30+ Glossy Ibis, a Buff-banded Rail, heard two Lewin’s Rails and saw many common waterbirds.
Greg Clancy Coutts Crossing NSW Ecologist and Wildlife Guide www.birdrangers.com
Dr Greg. P. Clancy Ecologist and Birding Guide Coutts Crossing NSW www.birdrangers.com ===============================
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 ===============================
Many thanks to those who replied with information and pdf files with location details of Dairy Swamp. This description is from Wheeler’s (1955) Emu paper, “Charadriiformes at the Laverton Saltworks, Victoria, 1950-1953”.
“5. The Golf Links Swamp is a large, non-permanent swamp passed en route from the Altona Railway Station to the Saltworks. The northern end of this swamp is known as the **Dairy Swamp** and is covered with a short growth of samphire. The Quarry Dam is now a permanent waterhole becoming more extensive as sand is excavated from it. It lies at the south-east corner of the Golf Links Swamp.”
and this is a link to the map from that paper: http://picasaweb.google.com/pshute2/DairySwampLaverton#5680486330115083362
I haven’t had time to properly compare the map to a Google Maps satellite image of the area, but given that it’s north of the old saltworks, and apparently south of Laverton Ck, I’m guessing that the Quarry Dam mentioned became Altona Tip, which then became Truganina Parklands, and now has a huge hill built over it, which probably also covers the site of Dairy Swamp.
Perhaps the relatively recently built chain of ponds just north of the car park is near where it was, but I doubt the topography is anything like what was there then.
On the other hand, there is a golf course on the other side of Laverton Ck, south east of Truganina Swamp. Perhaps at the time, Laverton Ck was indistinct and marshy there, and is therefore not shown on the map. That would mean Dairy Swamp might have been part of what is now Truganina Swamp, which I believe once extended further east, where there is now housing.
Opinions welcome.
Peter Shute
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
According to Mike, this “Altona” flock of up to 19 APS were at “Dairy Swamp, Laverton” (Victoria) in 1951. Does anyone know where Dairy Swamp might have been?
Peter Shute
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Mike, do you know where this flock in Altona was hanging out? It would be interesting to see if this was possible again, now that housing is so much closer to the habitat than it was even ten years ago.
Peter Shute
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================
My friend pointed out to me today that there have been about 97 different birds seen in NSW in the last 365 days (according to birdline alone). I didn’t believe him, so I checked and the number is accurate. Compared to about 4 the year before and 2 the year before that. Obviously it’s an extremely good season!!!Josh
===============================
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
http://birding-aus.org ===============================