Last month we had a wonderful visit to the Western Water Treatment Plant at Werribee. As expected, we didn’t see any Orange-bellied Parrots, but there were many unexpected sightings.

Blue-winged Parrots … not OBP’s

The first highlight was a large flock of the striking Zebra Finches, making us feel we were in Central Australia. With their stubby, bright orange beaks and legs, someone suggested they were a bit like miniature Puffins certainly the closest to a Puffin look-alike in this country.

Zebra Finches

A multitude of Fairy Martins, mixed in with the more common Welcome Swallows, was also an unusual sight for us.

A mass of mainly Martins

There was more to come, with a Sea-Eagle and baby, a number of different raptors, one very handsome Cape Barren Goose, and finally about 60 waders, all Red-necked Stints.

Sea-Eagle

Cape Barren Goose

Red-necked Stints

We were unsure if they had wintered here or were very early arrivals back from Siberia. However a couple had the remains of the coloured neck feathers that give them their name, so perhaps they were newly arrived. This is breeding plumage and we don’t usually see it here as they are in their non-breeding phase.

Checking out the Red-necked Stints

A fascinating site was seeing about 7 tiny baby ducks falling/pushed/jumping from a nesting box and then swimming in a line after their parents. Another pair of ducks appeared to immediately take possession of  the nesting box.

At 4.30pm we were only about half way along our chosen route, but most of us reluctantly had to leave. One carload went on until the light faded, and saw another four different species, including the largest number of Black-fronted Dotterels (23) any of us had seen.

Black-shouldered Kite

Brown Falcon

Crested Pigeon

Pelicans

Terns and Gulls

 We recorded 62 species, making it a most rewarding day.

Next month there will be no ANGAIR bird walk, but interested members may like to participate in the last Birdlife Australia Orange-bellied Parrot survey for the year, on the weekend of September 10-11. If so, contact Craig Morley, Bellarine Peninsula Orange-bellied Parrot Regional Group Co-ordinator 5221 4604, mobile 042 919 6634, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Below is a list of all the birds identified:

1. Cape Barren Goose
2. Black Swan
3. Australian Shelduck
4. Pacific Black Duck
5. Chestnut Teal
6. Blue-billed Duck
7. Musk Duck
8. Hoary-headed Grebe
9. Little Pied Cormorant
10. Great Cormorant
11. Pied Cormorant
12. Australian Pelican
13. Great Egret
14. White-faced Heron
15. Australian Ibis
16. Yellow-billed Spoonbill
17. Australian Kite
18. Wedge-tailed Eagle
19. Swamp Harrier
20. Black Kite
21. Whistling Kite
22. White-bellied Sea-Eagle
23. Australasian Swamphen
24. Eurasian Coot
25. Pied Stilt
26. Masked Lapwing
27. Red-capped Plover
28. Black-fronted Dotterel
29. Red-necked Stint
30. Silver Gull
31. Whiskered Tern
32. Great Crested Tern
33. Crested Pigeon
34. Australian Kestrel
35. Brown Falcon
36. Galah
37. Blue-winged Parrot
38. Red-rumped Parrot
39. Superb Fairywren
40. Noisy Miner
41. Red Wattlebird
42. White-fronted Chat
43. White-browed Scrubwren
44. Yellow-rumped Thornbill
45. Australian Magpie
46. Black-faced Cuckooshrike
47. Gray Shrikethrush
48. Willie-wagtail
49. Magpie-lark
50. Raven sp.
51. Scarlet Robin
52. Eurasian Skylark
53. Welcome Swallow
54. Fairy Martin
55. Tree Martin
56. Little Grassbird
57. Golden-headed Cisticola
58. Silver-eye
59. Common Myna
60. Australasian Pipit
61. House Sparrow
62. Zebra Finch

Ellinor Campbell

Photos by Margaret Lacey