I am pleased to report to birding-ausers that Dangars Lagoon (5km south of Uralla NSW on Thunderbolt’s Way) is now full. For long periods in the drought, particularly in the last three years, it was a grassy paddock with no water at all except in the small, nearly separate pond at the NW corner. Water is now lapping under the hide on the south side, and the presence of cormorants and the like suggests that fish-life has returned, assisted perhaps by that NW pond which connects with the lagoon when full. On a recent visit I found at least 20 Blue-billed Ducks (previously a fine feature of this lagoon) and at least 1, probably 2, Great Crested Grebes — not seen there for a long time. There were reasonable numbers of other duck species, including a couple of Pink-eareds. Herons and other margin-feeders were nearly absent, perhaps because the newly-submerged margins have little to offer them as yet. I shall be visiting Little Llangothlin, the other important New England lagoon, in the near future and confidently expect to make a similarly positive report.
John Clifton-Everest ===============================
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