Lake Anderson, Chiltern (Part 1)

The Melbourne Birdlife Photography Group weekend in Chiltern began with a walk around Lake Anderson. The lake acts as a storm water sink and, with a lot of recent rain, the water level was high. This meant that there was no shallow water or mudflats around the banks so no wading birds were present but there were plenty of the usual suspects:

 Eurasian Coots and Dusky Moorhens swam around the reeds.

Dusky Moorhen, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1000

Eurasian Coot, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1250

There were plenty of ducks: Hardhead, Australian Wood Duck and Pacific Black Duck

Hardhead, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/16, 1/250

Hardhead, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1600

Australian Wood Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/11, 1/1000

Australian Wood Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1600

Pacific Black Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/800

Pacific Black Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/640

Pacific Black Duck, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/400

Little Black Cormorants and Great Cormorants were in, on and around the lake.

Little Black Cormorant, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/2500

Little Black Cormorant, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/3200

Great Cormorant, Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1600

We heard Australian Reed Warblers and Little Grassbirds in the reeds but only Superb Fairy-wrens came out to be photographed.

Superb Fairy-wren (male), Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1250

Superb Fairy-wren (male), Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/8, 1/1000

Superb Fairy-wren (female), Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2000

Superb Fairy-wren (female), Lake Anderson, Chiltern, Victoria
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adapter), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/1600

Next morning, back at the lake.

Kerang Lakes - Part 1 Lake Tutchewop

Having enviously read reports of sightings of the first recorded Long-billed Dowitcher in Australia at Lake Tutchewop while I was travelling overseas and keeping up family and domestic duties during November and December, I finally bit the bullet and decided to head north this weekend to see if I could find and photograph this bird. I initially planned this trip for yesterday but, with the predicted high winds and temperatures in the 40s, dedicated Saturday to painting deck rails and furniture and decided to wait for the cooler weather today for birding.

After a few hours sleep to prepare for the long day of driving, I was woken by the alarm at 4:00 and was out they door by 4:11AM, arriving at Lake Tutchewop just on 8:30AM to find large flocks of Australian Pelicans, Australian Shelducks and small waders resting around the water's edge.

Australian Pelican, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/800

Australian Shelduck + small waders, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/1000

I spent two hours searching the south end of the lake, particularly around the area of salt marsh, grasses and reeds surrounding the inlet channel (Lake Tutchewop is a drain for irrigation water) where the bird had most often been reported) but no Dowitcher in sight.

I did manage to get a few shots of other birds making the most of the inlet channel. White-Fronted Chats were flitting about the vegetation, the males occasionally perching long enough for me to catch a shot, where the females stayed low in the vegetation.

White-fronted Chat (male), Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/320

There were many Red-capped Plovers racing around the mud flats looking for food

Red-capped Plover (male), Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/800

Red-capped Plover (immature), Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/640

along with a few Red-necked Stints, one of which walked closely past me as I was photographing the Plovers.

Red-necked Stint, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/1000

By far the most numerous waders were Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, most of which were congregated a few hundred metres 'offshore'

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/1000

but a few flew in closer,

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/800

some feeding along the water's edge,

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/1000

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8 1/400

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8 1/400

others 'hiding' among the vegetation,

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8 1/640

and two posing for portraits.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8 1/320

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8 1/400

Further out on the lake, among the pelicans and ducks, was a pair of Great Cormorants and a solo Gull-billed Tern

Great Cormorant, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/400

Gull-billed Tern, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/640

and several Black Kites were circling over the lake picking up thermals.

Black Kite, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/2000

A little disappointed but not to be beaten, I called it quits at this location and headed around the lake to check out the northern shore but there was very little bird life anywhere else I could get to on the lake and, more importantly, no Dowitcher. 

It was early afternoon by the time I got back to the southern end of Lake Tutchewop and by now there were several other birders out on the mudflats scoping the offshore flocks for the odd one out. The water level in the lake was receding quickly (the water's edge was now at least 100 metres further out than it had been this morning) so the flocks of Australian Shelduck and small waders were further away. The distance and heat haze made it difficult to photograph much

Australian Shelduck, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/2000

Small waders, Lake Tutchewop, Kerang
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6 1/1600

but there was nothing larger or different from what I had seen this morning so I headed for the Reedy Lakes Ibis Rookery to see what I could find before returning here for one last attempt later this afternoon.

Freckled Ducks at Begola Wetlands

While walking around the Begola Wetlands in Ocean Grove yesterday I spotted Freckled Duck among the reeds and swimming around the middle of the lake. As it's been six weeks since my last bird outing, I couldn't help taking a late afternoon visit today to see if I could photograph them. I have seen one or two Freckled Duck here before but not in the numbers that are there currently. There were at least 50-60 birds and maybe many more hidden among the reeds.

Freckled Duck, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Many of the usual suspects were also in, on and around the reeds.

Grey Teal, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Purple Swamphen, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Chestnut Teal (male), Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Dusky Moorhen, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Two Great Cormorants were sharing the top of a stump as preening post.

Great Cormorant, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

Australian Magpies were hunting for food in the grass around the edge of the wetlands.

Australian Magpie, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

I also found 6 Latham's Snipe but they were typically secretive and cryptic. This is the best photograph I managed.

Latham's Snipe, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove

As I was about to leave, an Australian Reed-Warbler, which had been singing from within a large bush at the side of the lake, popped out to sing on a small dead reed in relatively open view but completely silhouetted against the setting sun. Environmentally, it is upsetting to find so much litter in these wetlands but in this case the old bottle adds to the photographic aesthetic (if I stop thinking of it as a bottle).

Australian Reed-Warbler, Begola Wetlands, Ocean Grove