More comments and images of Waterbirds

This follows on from my post about the Australian Painted-snipe at Kelly's Swamp in the Jerrabombera Wetlands.  The next few paragraphs are a (slightly edited for clarity) copy of my message of 27 September to the COG Chatline, with a few images added.

 By 1pm (ish) the Painted-snipe had moved towards Cygnus Hide (but of course on the Southern bank of the swamp).  They initially emerged from the grass  between the grazing cattle and then headed for a large patch of mud/water which they slowly crossed, in an astonishingly obliging way so that they could be tracked in my scope. About 2 pm (coinciding with Milburn's return) they flew back across the patch of mud and disappeared into the grass.

One Nankeen Night-heron seen just past Fulica Hide 

and the Glossy Ibis grazing in the Painted Snipe (and cattle) infested grass.

To cap off a rather good couple of hours, after a snuffle at the bird-free mud in the Sewage ponds Milburn spotted, and was able to point out to me, a Buff Banded Rail on the edge of Pond 6!

 In addition to this I had noted several (perhaps 20) Australian White Ibis scunge diving in another part of the swamp.

I suspect the central bird has been over-enthusiastic in the scunge-munching department!

Normally these birds are a dime a dozen - and overpriced at that - but since the big wet of 2010 have been a lot less common.  Perhaps this lot were displaced from Yowani Golf Club who chopped down their nest trees, claiming the nests were the cause of water pollution downstream course!  (Given the desire of Federal to sell some of their woodland for any purpose they can dream up  - and get the Government to accept - I will note that there are some golf courses in Canberra with better environmental credentials!)

The final thing I would note is that while looking at the Painted-snipe a little fluff ball ran past in the company of an adult Masked Lapwing.  That was the first lapwing chick I have seen this year.  It was a tad far off, and moving far too fast for a snap.

Rather than start a new post for a couple of images of birds here are a White-faced Heron, terrorising the frogs of Kelly's Swamp on 11 October

and another (also from 11 October) of the Glossy Ibis with a conveniently positioned scaling bird in the shape of a Pacific Black Duck.

After a couple of years of very low waterbird numbers and diversity things are really picking up at Kelly's Swamp and the Fyshwick poo-pits.   Today there were 3 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers are the 'pits.

Note the Black-fronted Dotterel in the LHS of the first image!