Cool birds on a hot day

The temperature in Canberra on 9 January got to 37oC.  Despite that I manged to list 31 species of birds at the Jerrabomberra Wetlands between about 1400 and 1530.

My target (with Bird-a-day in mind) was a Little Egret that had been reported from Kelley's Swamp.  I had visited the Crust Bakery on my way to the swamp and it was a great pleasure to see the Little Egret over the top of an excellent Steak and Kidney pie rated 8.5 on the official pie rating scale.

Here is the first image from Ardea Hide.  The dark bill is quite visible.
Somewhat later I got some closer shots from the new Snipe hide.
In common with quite a few of the birds seen today it seemed to be almost panting in the heat.  I empathised with it.
From Cygnus hide a fair number (at least 7) Latham's Snipe were visible in the grass on the far side of the Swamp.
A team of Little Pied Cormants were doing their panting and preening on a dead tree.
I wandered over the Creek to Fulica Hideand en route heard a strange noise from a tree hanging over the path.  It turned out to be a recently fledged Eastern/Pacific/Common/Whatever Koel trying to get a Red Wattlebird to ram some food into it.
10 years ago that would have been a very exciting sighting, but is now pretty much run of the mill.

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