Our February bird walk group visited the Melbourne Treatment Plant at Werribee. It was very windy and the birds were staying down in sheltered spots.

Pied Stilt aka Black-winged Stilt

Whiskered Tern

Our count of 49 species for the day wasn't high for this location but the number of birds was breathtaking. Some flocks must have been in the thousands.

None of us had ever seen so many Australian Shelducks, mostly grazing out on the grassy fields. The waders were bunched up in rafts of hundreds which looked like rocks until you realised they were masses of birds, impossible to identify side by side with their heads under wings.

Resting flocks of Avocets

Another highlight was close views of Swamp Harriers as they flew low beside the car, giving us a sense of just how large they really are.

Juvenile Swamp Harrier

We also enjoyed seeing lots of Pink-eared Ducks, the Striated Fieldwren with its cocky tail, and the iridescent colours of the Glossy Ibis at our lunch stop.

Pink-eared Ducks

Striated Fieldwren

Glossy Ibis

Margaret Lacey