Over the last 2 days there has been a Barn Swallow hawking between the beach and the swamp at Palm Bay. Wetland species are easier to observe now as there is very little water for them to feed in and there are significant numbers in a relatively small area. Plenty of crocodiles too!! There are a lot of migratory waders both those that prefer the coast and those on the remnant freshwater wetlands – quite a few new for the Croker list. I think I’ve added 22 new species to the list. There are numerous Purple Swamphens and Nankeen Night Herons and Radjah Shelducks. All the egrets are here, Little, Intermediate, Great, Cattle and Reef. There are White-browed Crakes and Jacanas and Buff-banded Rails some of which forage far out in the open. On the dry floodplain there are the usual hundreds of Brolga and Magpie Geese plus Pipits and Horsfield’s Bushlarks and many Little Curlews, Oriental Plovers and Australian Pratincoles but I have looked in vain for Oriental Pratincoles and wagtails
Don Hadden ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ P O Box 1007, Malanda, Qld 4885, Australia Home: +61 8 8979 0372 (until 28 Oct) Work: +61 8 8979 0229 (until 28 Oct) Web: www.donhadden.com for Australian bird photos ===============================
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