Second week of October

There were more birders than birds today on my only visit to the lake this week. And they all seemed to be looking for the now all too familiar Freckled Ducks. But today it was different. The Freckled Ducks were extremely tame, feeding right beside the path within metres of the passing hordes. The picture below was taken with my iPhone.

A very tame (female?) Freckled Duck

A pair of Rainbow Bee-eater have set up shop at the sand mound, but there was no sign of the Red-capped Plovers seen a week earlier.

I'm off to Broome tomorrow, so won't be able to report until the fourth week of the month. I hope I don't miss anything too special while I'm away!

First week of October - Fledgling Red-capped Plover!

On the 2nd of October, Ross Jones revealed more than 10 Rainbow Bee-eaters were at Byford. It meant they were back, and it was time to get down to Herdsman Lake and find one for myself.

I started out at the Heron Place carpark and worked my way around the lake in an clockwise fashion. Eleven Barcoo Bantams were skulking on the lawn at Maurice Hamer, and by the time I'd got to the end of this stretch of park, I'd already seen around 40 species. Floundering my way through the Flooded Gums towards the Settler's Cottage, the distinct yet distinct calls of Rainbow Bee-eaters were echoing from the sand mound. Unluckily, a passing Australian Hobby sent them on their way before I could get a photo...

The passing Australian Hobby

With all these Oriental Plovers showing up on the east coast, I thought it was worth a look in the grassy areas to the north of the sand mound. Upon arrival, I flushed a cat, which flushed a Red-capped Plover, which flushed the camera from my pocket. With the cat safely scurrying into the nearby neighbourhood, I suspiciously scanned for more. and soon found another gorgeous adult, and with it a very large chick!

Red-capped Plover adult (above) and fledgling (below)

Bumping into the Herdy Bird Nerds near the Baumea (?) bird hide, I witnessed the experts in action, meticulously ageing a mist-netted Yellow-rumped Thornbill from its tail feathers, and blowing on the belly of a Silvereye to see if she was broody. With overhead Little Eagle, Australasian Darter and Australian Ringneck adding to my morning tally (up to 63), it was time to move on.

A Weebill and Striated Pardalote singing along Jon Sanders Drive was the feature of the often lifeless north-eastern stretch. Arriving at the Wildlife Centre I slowly scoped for Freckled Ducks, which I hadn't seen in a while. Nothing. Until I saw the one right in front of me.

The only Freckled Duck left at Herdsman Lake?

Black-winged Stilts were my concluding bird for the 5hr walk, unless I can count this Mallard as number 70? Please?

Nesting note - apart from the fledgling Red-capped Plover, other new arrivals this spring included 2 Musk Ducklings, and Dusky Moorhen and Buff-banded Rail chicks.