Egg-layers seen on a trip to Bungendore

After visiting the tip to make a deposit I swung by the big dam on Lake Road.

In view of the very dry year we are experiencing I was intrigued to find that the Big Dam on Lake Rd has still got a lot of water in it.  This image shows the smaller section of the dam and the start of the berm under the fenceline.
I also found this morning that the grass on the roadside has died down (or been mown) so that I was possible to park  level with the end of the bank through the middle of the dam (as shown in the image).  This meant I got much better views along the fence line than are possible from the traditional spot opposite The Lake.

There were at least 6 groups of Freckled Ducks which I counted up to 112 birds - and I suspect there were a few more.  I also counted 116 Pink-eared Ducks some of which were chilling out on the banks while others were feeding in a big group or in pairs doing synchronised spinning.  This next image shows part of one of the flocks.
The other big flock were 89 Eurasian Coots.  On the edge of the water I noticed 3 Black-fronted Dotterels and 2 Red-kneed Dotterels.  This is the latter species:
At Trucking Yard Lane there were still 24 Plumed Whistling Ducks which seems to be the size of a locally resident flock.  Some of them were having a Bad Plume Day due to the gusting breeze.

82 Grey Teal and 38 Pacific Black Ducks were the other sizable flocks.  I was able to definitely identify 6 Chestnut Teal amongst the Grey Teal: its a bit easier to split them out when they are breeding males.
After the huge flocks of cockatoos seen recently there were only a handful each of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Galahs today.

Very few fowl at the Sewage Works; Trucking Yard Lane Dam #2; Bungendore Meadow Dam and Burrows Lane Dam.

Near the high point of Widgiewa Rd an Echidna (also an egg layer) was snuffling around.

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