Western Treatment Plant – Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER

Saturday Evening Post: A Magic Place

May 4, 2024Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Saturday Evening Post, Western Treatment PlantTagged Saturday Evening Post, Western Treatment Plant5 Comments

I was first introduced to the Western Treatment Plant by a birder who had been visiting the area for many years. He delighted in showing people the best of the area, and his enthusiasm was infectious.

On one trip, we were sitting on the rocks in the grass overlooking Ryan’s Swamp. It was at the time carrying a good depth of water. As we sat eating lunch, we chatted about the history of people bird watching in the area. One character, Fred Smith, had been visiting the plant for many years and in those early years, he would catch a train to Werribee Railway Station and then ride his bike down to the plant. In those early years, access to the bird-watching area was through the town of Cocoroc.

He then said two profound things that have stuck with over the years. As we sat in the early autumn sunshine, with Kites and Falcons keeping us entertained with their aerial skills, he said, “This is a Magic Place.” A little later he continued, “It is a great privilege to be able to have access here.”

Times have changed, transportation has become easier and now the ‘Farm’ is running the risk of over-familiarisation. Where once it was possible to see maybe 5 visitors in a day, now, the numbers approach 50 or more when a ”special” bird is in residence.

At present an international wanderer is causing excitement on social media, and the area where it is currently over-staying is in danger of becoming a traffic jam. And the environmental pressure around the pond had resulted in Melbourne Water closing a lot of small side roads with gates and signs and to issue, a fairly strong worded edict to birdwatchers, photographers and general visitors.
Here is part of that document.

Incidents include:

walking off tracks and roads and entering vegetated areas and margins of ponds for photograph opportunities
inappropriate driving on site including riding in the back of a ute tray whilst in motion
entering restricted areas on foot and by vehicle that are off limits to permit holders
riding bicycles on the birdwatching route.

To protect yourself and the health and safety of these species, please:

stick to the tracks designated in the WTP Birdwatching Route Map

stay near your vehicle at all times – you are not permitted to walk more than 30 metres from your vehicle

abide by the prescribed speed limit of 30kmh or as designated by signage

follow instructions on all signage

DO NOT ENTER areas are strictly no-go zones – you are not permitted to enter

ROAD CLOSED sign means the area is closed both to foot traffic as well as vehicles

No bicycles are allowed on site – cars only

It seems that we no longer adhere to ‘a privilege’ to be there. The view of the bird, and the ultimate photograph are more important.
And overcrowding to get that social media ‘hit’ is not limited to birding. Places like Venice are charging tourists to enter. In Japan they have erected a large barrier to prevent people stopping in the middle of the road for that ‘perfect’ picture of Mt Fuji. And there are many others.

It reminds me of International Photography Exhibitions during the 1970-80s. There was a division for “Nature Photography” and -the hand of man- was not to be seen in the photo. As competition for these events was high, much ingenuity was used to obtain the prize winning picture.
For quite a few years photos, (and this is in the days of filum) were made of nesting birds by finding a nest, setting up the camera rig, and flash units, close to the nest, and then chopping off any branches that might obscure the ‘perfect shot’. One I know of used a motorised camera with a 250 shot back, and a motion release. He’d set it up, retire to the local motel for the day, and then on the following morning go and collect his gear and prize winner. Leaving the bird nest now totally exposed to predators and the weather.
Another series that did the rounds for awhile was pictures of Sacred Kingfishers in nest. This was achieved by digging a trench next to the nest and then scraping away the earth to reveal the young in the nest being fed. Again, driving away leaving the nest exposed. Spotted Pardalotes nest in holes in the ground, the entrance very well camouflaged. But it was nothing to clear it all way to get a shot of the bird emerging or entering the nest space.. And walking away leaving the nest unprotected. Fortunately in the end we were able to have such practices banned.
However the pictures still did the rounds.
Bowels, Robins and Flycatchers of Australia, has a number of photo plates where the pruning around the nest is quite obvious.

BIrdLife Australia has a code of practice for photographers. I hope for the sake of both the privilege to visit the area and the Magic of the Place, that notice is taken.
It would be sad to loose access to such a special place.

That’s all very well. But. How are we going to get in?

From the Field Notes Book: High Drama

February 14, 2024February 14, 2024Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Black Falcon, Black-shouldered Kite, Western Treatment PlantTagged Black Falcon, Black-shouldered Kite, Western Treatment Plant9 Comments

We were at the Western Treatment Plant and the weather had clouded over. Best to head for home was the vote from both EE and Mr An Onymous.
As we were at the southern end of the plant we decided (well I had the steering wheel) to take the longer, not so well used, track around the Austin Road extention.

This track circuits the far eastern side of the plant and has a long treeline running next to the fence, and can be on occassions worthwhile. Most times however its just a drive between the treeline and the open paddocks. Which is why many don’t make that trip and the track is mostly used by the farm folk and whatever livestock is in the area.

I missed the Black-shouldered Kite sitting on the old gate rail, but decided to stop just in case it was in the area.

We’d only just got out of said IamGrey and were looking about when an ominous black shape headed toward us across the field, pursued by an equally intent Black-shouldered Kite.
Camera up, frames released, and then it was obvious we had found a Black Falcon with a Kite in hot pursuit.
This is pretty unusual as normally the Falcon would have no qualms about relieving the little Kite of any prey it might have caught. Perhaps the pair had a nest in one of the nearby trees and they were in no mood for the Falcon to give them grief.

Black Falcons are not resident at the WTP, they tend to come in over the summer and we might only have one or two sightings each season.
The Falcon is much faster than the Kite and more like its Peregrine and Hobby cousins than to the Browns.

It swept across the paddock with the Kite stooping on it several times, no contact, but enough to move the bigger bird on. It turned behind the treeline and was gone. The Kite returned to rest on the old gate post.

Along the Track: The Patient Business of Feeding

February 7, 2024Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Western Treatment Plant, White-necked HeronTagged Western Treatment Plant, White-necked Heron9 Comments

I had written him a quick text, which I had for want of better sent it to his mobile as always,
suggesting as the weather looked to improving a trip might be exciting,
So I sent it to him just “On Spec” marked as follows: “Mr An Onymous, fancy a trip to WTP tomorrow early”
And an answer came directed, just as I expected.
Sent from his smartphone, “I’ll be there by sun up”

Apologies to the Good Banjo

“So,” as Banjo also wrote, “We went”

A quick stop for coffee from Gerry at the Highway Lounge and off to the Treatment Plant we journeyed. Hardly a “Vision Splendid” of bird life extended, but better than sitting in a “dingy little office”.

The weather was performing as expected and we dropped EE of at the first pond to pursue some Cape Barrren Geese, the first we’d seen in the T -Section area for quite awhile.

Mr An Onymous and I went up to the next pond and as we were trying to figure out our first move, a White-necked Heron stepped out of the pond-side reed bed and began to hunt.

And as the Banjo continued, “For a Photographer’s life has pleasures that the townsfolk seldom know,”
We stood as patiently as the Heron and watched it watching the water. And it didn’t take too long for the glacial moves of the Heron to suddenly become full of life and action as it pursed its prey.

Then it leaned forward and needing just a little extra reach extended its wings and jumped.
Another of Prof. Will’s Growling Grass Frogs had met its end.

Enjoy

Along the Track: Duck Inn

January 17, 2024January 17, 2024Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Austrlaian Shelduck, Brolga, Western Treatment PlantTagged Australian Shelduck, Brolga, Western Treatment Plant10 Comments

Every year thousands of Austalian Shelduck fly into the Western Treatment Plant during November.
When I grew up, on the river country, they were called “Mountain Ducks”, so as a littleun, I just assumed they must be, as the horse in the The Man from Snowy River, “mountain bred” But it’s highly like that among the thousands, not one has ever been seen in mountain territory.

They congregate to moult out all their flight feathers and for a few weeks are flightless. And pretty helpless. The foxes can ravage the flocks and its not unusal to see a dozen or more carcasses by the roadside on a trip through the plant.

Once they have gained a new set of flight feathers they then begin to fuel up for the next part of their journey.

We stopped on Twentynine Mile Road to have a look at a great number of them feeding.
And for bonus points a pair of Brolga landed and walked through the flocks.
With a few wing flaps and some head shaking they seemed to clear a path between the ducks, until in the end, perhaps tired of that game, they took to wing and headed further down the Plant.
The ducks just continued sitting, enjoying the sunshine.

Along the Track: Up, Wings, UP!

January 12, 2024Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Hoary-headed Grebe, Western Treatment Plant, WTPTagged Hoary-headed Grebe, Western Treatment Plant, WTP5 Comments

We have had good numbers of Hoary-headed Grebes at a number of locations over the past few months.
Not that we don’t see them regularly, just the large numbers are quite unusual. Some ponds at the Treatment Plant have had 30-40 birds on occassions.

We were at the T-Section area, and in the pond near where we’d parked IamGrey, it was hard not to notice the 15-20 or so Hoary-headed Grebes all swimming about together.

What turned out to be unusual was they all drifted down to the far end of the pond on a strong breeze, and then with a hop, skip and a jump, they launched themselves into the air and flew the 150m or so to the other end of the pond, drifted back and flew again.

It is most unusal to see any grebe airborne, so this was particularly intruiging. The books tend to say that “they fly at night”, but I suspect that is because no one sees them in daylight, and the conclusion is obvious, “I haven’t seen grebes flying in daylight, so…. They must fly at night”

These ones, obviously hadn’t read that book. And they continued to repeat the performance
I’ve also been told, on reasonable authority, that Grebes tend to lose the ability to fly the longer they are in a permanent pond. Some Little Aussie battlers can have several seasons in the same pond, and if the theory is correct, then the wing muscles etc, must atrophy and they are for all intents, flightless.

And the Hoary-headed continued to drift up the pond and then fly back. Presumably they were using the rather strong wind blowing down the pond to help get lift. We began to wonder if they were perhaps getting some training in to re-develop the flight muscles

We stayed in the area for a couple of hours and to our surprise when we checked, just as we were leaving, there were only a couple of Grebes still in the pond. The rest had flown!

And of course we missed that.
Often see them sitting in the ponds and doing a wing-stretch and conclude that those wings aren’t all that big for such a small bird. But, stretched out in flight they obviously get enough lift.
With those little stuck-on legs dangling out behind.
Enjoy

Little Visits: Around the Pond

December 11, 2023Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Australian Reed Warbler, Black Kite, Black-tailed Native-hen, Great Egret, Little Grassbird, Little Visits, Western Treatment PlantTagged Australian Reed Warbler, Dusky Moorhen, Great Egret, Little Grassbird, Rufous Whistler, Western Treatment Plant, Whiskered Tern5 Comments

In my new Downwardly Mobile role, we stayed around the Crake Pond area at WTP for the rest of the morning.
Not only were the Crakes out and about but also quite a number of other usual suspects.

Highlight was some Black-tailed Native-hens. Another bird that I rarely see and the first time ever a this location.

I also spent some time with several large flocks of Whiskered Terns, hoping, perhaps a bit too much that there might be some White-winged Blacks among them. But not this day. Means another trip should be on the cards.

Here is a few of the morning’s finds.

Enjoy

As it Happened: Ringside Seat

August 28, 2023Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Western Treatment Plant, White-faced HeronTagged Western Treatment Plant, White-faced Heron10 Comments

Wrestling, I have to admit has never been “my” sport. Too much huffing, puffing and sweaty armpits for me.

So you can imagine my surprise when I came across two White-faced Herons in the middle of a ding-dong battle.

A lot of name calling began, as they sized one-another up on the roadside. The bird, that I think, throught it owned the territory arrived with neck outstretched and loud calls to intimidate the pretender.

From there it escalated quite rapidly.

Gracefuness is not an essential sparring technique

It might seem like chest bumping, but its designed to get the advantage

It’s bar-room brawl scruff of the neck time

In the end, the challenger made one move too many with enthusiasm and less skill

And the old hand was ready to press home the advantage

That beak is good for more than just catching fish

Released, the pretender admitted defeat and flew off. Seemingly none the worse for wear, but perhaps a little wiser.

The local champion flew up and down the pond with neck outstrectched and very vocal. Now everyone knows whose pond it is.

As it Happened: In the Early Morning Light

August 10, 2023Posted in Brolga, WTPTagged Brolga, Western Treatment Plant, WTP12 Comments

+D4 had turned up for a couple of days, and we decided a trip to the Western Treatment Plant would be possible given the weather looked like it was going to be pleasant for most of the day.

Despite the need to get up early in the cold, we took an early morning run down the freeway and arrived not too long after sunup.

Breaking from usual tradition we started at the “Western Lagoons”. The clever plan was to look for, see, and photograph Black Falcon. Great idea, but not very well implemented as the Falcon didn’t seem to get out of bed early.

There is a spot about halfway along the Lagoons where the ponds are much higher than the abutting farm fields, and a water channel seperates the road on the bund of the ponds with the lower paddocks.

As we travelled along the pond road, EE took great delight in pointing out there were Brolga ahead, and sure enough, of course, you dear reader would not have doubted, she was right.

They were gathering together in the lower paddock, and eventually we saw eight of them. We sat on the upper road for around an hour or so, as it was easy to look down toward them, they were comfortable with the distance we were away, and the channel also gave them protection from close approaches.
So unpreterbed, they walked back and forth, preened, feed and did a few dances and introductions.

The one thing I noted, as I sat there was because of the richness of the early morning light, was how their feathers have a most attractive sheen.

So in no particular order here are a few from the morning’s visit. ro

Every so often one would stop and give a call. In the still early morning air, the calls were quite powerful

The grasses and shallow water seemed to suit their feeding habits

From where I sat on the high grasses, everyso often my long lens was just too long.

Several were fascinated by clumps of grasses and merryment enused as they tossed it about and jumped around

It seemed to be a game that only one played at a time

Perhaps they were practicing for a grass throwing event at the Olympics.

It wasn’t always immediately obvious which of them were a couple, but some times two would seperate away for a quiet stroll together

The calling seemed to make the rest of the group away that they wanted a few private moments

There is the overall scene. I had to borrow +D4’s zoom for the shot

Little Visits: A Raptor Moment… or Two

May 22, 2023May 22, 2023Posted in Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Brown Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Western Treatment Plant, WTPTagged Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestrel, Western Treatment Plant, WTP10 Comments

We started out heading to monitor several Black-shouldered Kites nestings, but as the early morning sunhine beckoned when we made it to the freeway we decided a coffee at Gerry’s at the Highway Lounge and then on the WTP for a looksee for robins.

Coffee despatched, we didn’t have any success with the Robins however.

For those that have visited the WTP we headed on up toward Ryan’s Swamp.

A good move it turned out to be as there were a number of raptors working along the roadway.

Our first sighting for the day, a Black Kite among the old trees

A female Nankeen Kestrel was ‘hawking’ up the remains of breakfast. A little furball lump of undigestible rubbish.

We spotted this Brown Falcon ‘walking’ along the road, no doubt it had scored a meal, as it flew to the tree and the next 45 minutes or so we stood with it, as it slowly digested the meal. There is something special about being able to observe this bird, unstressed, and watch its various character traits.

Handsome in the early morning light with dark storm clouds building behind

A number of Black Kites were also in the same area. It looks like full on dogfight, but these big birds seem to love to play about together

Another Black from the same area, and it appears to have nesting in mind.

Meanwhile the others continued the games

Yet another Falcon swept in to see what was going on.

It didn’t take us too long to find a pair of Black-shouldered Kites at work on nesting. Unlike most Black-shouldered these were nesting in the top of a dead tree in the open. Here the male has just arrived to relieve the female for awhile.

Nesting hasn’t blunted her hunting skills

Don’t mess with Mamma. She is unhappy about the Black Kite attention on the treeline

More Kestrel hunting. I missed the catch of this one.

A pair of Brown Falcons, they are not ready to mate, but are doing their best to keep the pair-bond alive and bright. He has just swept in from a few aerial stunts to impress her. She is crouched ready to accept his advances. We again spent 15 minutes or more watching their various antics, and after a lot of calls and cackles, they both flew to different perch area to repeat the performance

Hey, I think you look pretty special. Well I can’t speak Brown Falconese, so who knows what he said.

Enjoy

Along the Track: A Morning at the Plant

March 20, 2023Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Along the Track, Australasian Grebe, Australian Wood Duck, Brolga, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Visits, Picture Postcards, Swamp Harrier, Western Treatment Plant, White-bellied Sea-eagleTagged Along the Track, Australasian Grebe, Brolga, Hoary-headed Grebe, Swamp Harrier, Western Treatment Plant, White-bellied Sea-eagle, WTP12 Comments

After the last couple of ranty posts, I thought I fine day at the plant might be a good idea. 🙂

The Western Treatment Plant is about the size of Phillip Island and to travel all the tracks and explore all the possible bird sites can easily consume an entire day, and a goodly chunk out of the fuel budget for the week. 🙂

We tend to be a bit selective about the areas we travel through. Preferring to stop at one location for a time and see what is moving about. It also depends a lot upon the weather. Being a flat farmland, there is little shelter from high winds or the heat of midday.

So we tend to go either late in the afternoon when conditions are good, or early in the morning. Morning can be hard at first as the long drive in from the main road is directly into the rising sun. But once in the bird area it becomes easier.

We had decided to go on the morning as the weather looked promising, and if the wind picked up as predicted then back to the Highway Lounge and a Gerry Coffee.

Here then is a look at how the morning, and the birds progressed.

White-bellied Sea-eagle being harassed by a passing Swamp Harrier. I don’t think the apex predator was fazed.

Said Swamp Harrier, then made a close pass over the reeds on our side of the lake.

The ponds held many Hoary-headed Grebes.

A committee meeting. These two Sea-eagles were resting a long way out in the middle of the large lake.

Meanwhile up close the Reedbirds were moving about in the sunshine

A small selection of the many hundreds of Hoary-headed Grebes.

Whatever the current title, I still refer to them as Mountain Duck. The nomenclature police seem to think they are Australasian Shelduck. I don’t think the birds care really. They now all have nice new feathers and will be journeying northward soon

Not sure if this Sea-eagle was from the earlier lake ones, or whether it came in from south along the beachline. But there could be as many as four working in the area at present.

This Collared Sparrowhawk was making the most of the increasing high winds. And showing off that extended middle toe.

Fueling up for a long trip ahead. Curlew Sandpiper

These two Sharp-tailed Sandpipers are starting to colour up. Here they are ‘hiding’ out of the strong wind behind some reeds

It has been an increasing good year for Brolga at the Plant. We saw one pair with two well grown young. A second pair with a young one, and this third pair on their own

One of my fav inflight birds. The Little Egret

I can’t ever recall seeing an Austalasian Grebe standing up, nor on a rock. Perhaps a nest is on the way.

Also managed a great wing display just for bonus points.

Along The Track: Duck Season

February 1, 2023February 1, 2023Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", White-bellied Sea-eagle, WTPTagged Along the Track, Western Treatment Plant, White-bellied Sea-eagle, WTP13 Comments

Warning: This blog contains details and images that may cause distress to some readers.
I see that just about every night on the tv news, and I’m not sure what you are expected to do. Change channels, turn tv off. Close your eyes?

When I was a little kid, I remember a Loony Tunes cartoon of Elmer Fudd, the duckhunter, and Daffy Duck eluding him. The hapless Elemer never seemed to be able to take home a duck dinner.
Currently our Victorian Government seem to be in the same sort of dilemna about banning Duck Season 2023.

In the meantime, down at the the Western Treatment Plant, a White-bellied Sea Eagle is not the least preturbed by a possible closure of duck season.

Thanks to the headsup of its likely presence by my Flickrmate Don, and a couple of other birdos, we were planning to make a trip to WTP to see what, well, what we could see.

The family were coming for Australia Day, so we were planning to go the following day, but, best laid plans as Robbie Burns would write, and family decided that to come the day after Aussie-Day-Maaate.
How Un-Australian is that! I wonder if they disappeared as happens in the Sam Keckovic Lamb tv ad.

So rearranging our schedule we headed for the Treatment Plant. I’m not a great fan of going there on public holidays and weekends. Once the plant was visited by keen birders who took time to see and id as many birds as possible, and it was very laid back and tranquil.

These days it seems to be photographers who hurry from one end of the plant to the other to get just that one shot. Sometimes its seems to resemble a badly run motorcrosse event. And I’ve photographed a goodly number of motorcrosse events, and participated in a few historic rally runs so have a vague idea about proceedings.

So weekends are not my fav time in the plant.

Rant over, back to Sea Eagles. Well, one in particular.

The smart money seemed to suggest it would be on Lake Borrie, that’s where it was the day before. Every heard that advice. “Oh, yes, I saw it just there, yesterday.”

We parked conveniently about mid-way along the road and started to scan. Nothing in close. Of course not, did you really expect it?

Then EE made a gesture, way out in the middle of the lake. A white spec, that could have been a refigerator as far as normal eye sight would know. Through the binos, it was indeed a White-bellied Sea Eagle, perched high on a tree with great views of the menu (eer. ducks) all around.

It sat. We despaired at getting a sharp image at that distance and with the sun rising, heat-haze began to make it presence felt.
Then the bird jumped, went to the deck and moved about 300m up the lake. Just about every duck in that direction took to the air and flew the opposite way. Better to fly first and ask where later on.
Still too far out, but, just that little bit closer. Another long sit, and as soon as I turned away, it dropped down on to a log at water level.
Missed that.
Another long wait. But the bird kept turning its head to the left, and it had obviously locked on to something. More waiting.

Then, unfurling the wings it took off, quite leisurely it seemed, almost stealth mode.
And while I didn’t really see it though the viewfinder, somewhere out there a Chestnut Teal had nodded off to sleep.
Bad career move.
There was no second chance. The eagle swiftly despatched the duck, and sat on the waterline with it for a good 15 minutes, then scooping up its prize flew down the lake to a suitable dining table.

Event Log

When a Sea Eagle flys East, the wise among the ducks fly West

Viewing the Menu from the best position in town

After a very long wait, it dropped down on to a waterline log for a drink

It kept looking to the left, obviously some opportunity had presented itself

Like all raptors there is no wasted energy, the time to move has to be just right.

Now to relocate to a more suitable dining table

Little Visits: A Morning in the Western Treatment Plant

December 6, 2022December 6, 2022Posted in "Western Treatment Plant", Australian Hobby, Black Swan, Brolga, Cape Barren Goose, Western Treatment Plant, Willie WagtailTagged Australian Hobby, Black Swan, Brolga, Cape Barren Goose, Pied Oystercatcher, Western Treatment Plant, Willie Wagtail7 Comments

Due to an odd arrangement of circumstances, that would take several blog pages to cover and even more to wend the pieces together, we had decided on a trip to the Western Treatment Plant. (WTP)
What, of couse, was not in the “How to do it” manual was control of the weather.

Grandson “+D4” was staying over and t’was the only day avaible. For those interested “+D4” comes as an ‘Addition’ to the “3D’s” fabled for their “Dawdling” while on car-convoy on such trips to the WTP.

We picked up the usual Coffee-to-Go from our local and hit the highway. (Mr An Onymous, has a theory that in future times, sociologists and archeologists will conclude that ‘hit the road’ had some quasi-spiritualistic meaning and that the poor deluded ancients would go out and hit the road with their hand expecting some mystical experience—but— I digress)

The overcast, rain and high winds did not digress. Nor did they ease off. I may have mentioned before, that I can deal with the poor light and the rain at the WTP, but not the wind. It just makes getting out of IamGrey and standing in the open a truly harrowing experience and one that even the best of birds seems avoid at all costs. For those that might venture there, the track in the “Special Section” that was out along the beach area and barely passable with 2WD is now eroded to the point of being 4WD only.

So we had a fairly quiet trip about the plant. Good news is the roads are in very good condition and the closure has allowed several areas to be graded and topped and the drive experience improved no end.

We had hoped that White-winged Black Terns might have returned by now, but if so we didn’t get a sighting. The weather changes seem to have altered the plans of many returning migrants so far this season.

So as the blog is more now about the photos of the day, and less about the babble, here tis.
Enjoy

This is part of the coastal road at the Plant. Normally it is accessible by 2WD, but now 4WD and low tide are the recommendation. Erosion is quite evident. We retreated.

A small selection of Pied Oystercatchers hunkering down on a sandspit out of the wind.

This beautiful Goose has been on its own for at least 12 months, but has remained faithful to the area. I’m sure it doesn’t recognise me, but each time we go past its territory, I stop and we exchange a few head-bobs and it goes back to feeding.

I’m pretty certain it has lost its mate, the pair used to be quite the regulars in the area and nested over several seasons. For its own reasons it hasn’t ventured away to find a new mate.

Female White-fronted Chat. They seem to take extraordinary care about returning to the nest with food, and will spend many minutes checking everything out before deposting the food.

One of a pair of Brolga that were working in the T-Section

He is returning to see how things are going with his nesting mate. I’m sure that is a Swan smile

I saw the nest from the other side of the pond and we drove round for a clearer view. This clever lass was taking no chances and had built her nest in the very middle of quite a deep pond and it seems to have paid off with a lovely set of matching cygnets.

By early afternoon, the wind, the cold and the rain has gotten the best of the best of us, and we made one forlorn loop around the Western Lagoon area. Surprisingly we spotted a pair of Brolga with two quite large well developed juveniles in tow. Well worth the extra few minutes and the tired and exhausted among us were quick to respond to the opportunity. The birds seemed quite relaxed and in no hurry to go anywhere, but big long legs quickly carried them across the ponds.

Quite well developed. I’m not sure if they are fledged, but that normally takes around 3-4 months. Which just shows how silly Uncle Google can be, as I’ve seen figures of 2-3 weeks, which are impossible. They stay with the parents for nearly 12 months until the next breeding cycle.
Here is an intersting factsheet on Brolga on Farms.

For bonus points we called in to see the Hobbys on the way home. This one is now just about a ‘brancher’ and no doubt days from flight. The nest is festooned in discared down.

All tucked up secure. Three little Wagtails about a week old.

Little Visits: Busi-ness

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022Posted in Black Swan, Western Treatment Plant, WTPTagged Black Swan, Western Treatment Plant, WTP7 Comments

We had a few minutes to spare on the return home past the Western Treatment Plant and decided to look in on the “T Section” area. Not many birds in there at present, except for colonies of nesting swans.

We found this pair in the business of Busy-ness

First step in the process is house building

This involves much swimiming in a circle and heads and necks over bodies

It seems that blowing bubbles was the start of something big.

She reared up so fast and I was unable to get back further so clipped the top of her beak

Little Visits: The Flight of the Brolga

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021Posted in Brolga, Little Visits, Western Treatment Plant, WTPTagged Brolga, Western Treatment Plant8 Comments

I was going solo at the Western Treatment Plant. #kneetoo was tucked up in her wide view bird-hide at the hospital, and as the sun was shining in a clear blue sky, I thought a quick trip to check to see if any Flame Robins could be making the most of the weather and the paddocks at the Plant.

However after a bit of fruitless searching it was obviously not going to be my day for robins.

A final quick trip around the “T Section” area just in case a Brown Falcon or two might be present and then home was my plan.

As I unlocked the entry gate to the area, I heard the long rasping call away off in the distance of Brolga. A scan around the horizon and it was not likely I’d spot any as the calls had been a long way off, and had now stopped.

I prepared to shut the gate and another birdo was approaching to go out, so I held the gate open and said I’d lock it as they left. Then, just as I swung the gate across the road, that rasping cry filled the air, and this time I’d id’d the location. Sure enough in the air were three Brolga. Then as the shapes grew more distinct, it was likely that they were not only coming in my direction, but would perhaps make a pretty close pass by.

Locking the gate, I grabbed the camera and hoped that the pass would be on the sunny side of iAmGrey.

The more I watched, the more I became aware they would be using the roadway behind me as sort of navigation aid, and would pass right over the top of me.

And they did.

They disappeared behind one of the bunds, and I wondered where they had ended up.

Satisfied with the fly by, I went on to look along the roadways. Time for a cuppa, so I pulled up at one of the cross tracks and pulled out the doings.

Then the croaking call rattled over the ponds and I looked a bit further along the track and the pair were in head stretch calling mode, and engaging in a little pair bonding. Cuppa forgotten, I moved along the track for a better looksee.

They settled down to some preening and feeding and the juvenile with them was feeding in one of the shallow ponds.

I went back for my Cuppa and sat and watched until they moved off the pondage and up on to the track, and moved further along to continue their morning routine.

Satisfied, I packed up and headed off for a visit with the patient.

Enjoy