A Morning on the Gold Coast - Part 2: Emerald Lakes

After somewhat sparse experiences at Coomera and Coombabah Lakes Mangroves, I headed for Emerald Lakes in Carrara and was not disappointed. An hour walk around the lake on the corner of Birmingham and Nielsens Roads provided a great array of the usual suspects:

Dusky Moorhen, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/640

Eurasian Coot, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/640

Hardhead, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/640

Intermediate Egret, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/800

Little Egret, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/400 

Pacific Black Duck, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/400

Purple Swamphen, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/250

Royal Spoonbill, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/500

Royal Spoonbill, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/640

Royal Spoonbill, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/500

Willie Wagtail, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/500

...but, for a southerner, who doesn't get to see them very often, this flock of Magpie Geese was the highlight.

Magpie Goose, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/160

Magpie Goose, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/250

Magpie Goose, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/8, 1/400

Magpie Goose, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/800

Even this Royal Spoonbill seemed to appreciate the show!

Magpie Goose + Royal Spoonbill, Emerald Lakes, Carrara, Queensland
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/250

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

Jerringot Wetlands and Hospital Swamp

A quick trip out this morning to Jerringot Wetlands (in Belmont Common, Geelong) and Hospital Swamp in search of crakes and snipe.

The bird hide at Jerringot proved to be the "spot" for crakes with both Spotless and Australian Spotted Crakes present. They were really difficult to photograph with the backlighting and reeds but I got at least a few record shots:

Spotless Crake, Jerringot Wetlands

Australian Spotted Crake, Jerringot Wetlands

The ubiquitous Purple Swamphens were everywhere (as usual)

Purple Swamphen, Jerringot Wetlands

and a pair Pacific Black Ducks cruised about closeby, one pausing for a quick splash.

Pacific Black Duck, Jerringot Wetlands

Several small birds including Superb Fairy Wren and Australian Reed Warbler flitted about the reeds but the only one that I was able to capture was this Little Grassbird.

Little Grassbird, Jerringot Wetlands

Meanwhile, several White-faced Herons were playing musical chairs with the nesting boxes

White-faced Heron, Jerringot Wetlands

I did spot one Latham's Snipe (the main target for the morning), flushed from reeds close to the road when a cyclist stopped for a look but it disappeared back into the reeds so no photographs :-(

So, on to Hospital Swamp

Black-winged Stilts, Hospital Swamp

where the closest encounter I had was with a pair of Red-kneed Dotterels

Red-kneed Dotterel, Hospital Swamp

So, I dipped on the snipe but a good excuse to keep trying :-)

Oriental Pratincole at WTP

I had not been out birding for 10 weeks and for much of this time, while overseas, I had been reading reports of an Oriental Pratincole (a bird I'd never seen before) being seen at the Western Treatment Plant. So, despite the weather report of cold, windy and overcast conditions, I ventured out this morning in quest of the elusive Pratincole.

I'd had some good clues as to where to find it so headed for the Western Lagoons but it was nowhere to be seen. However, persistence did pay off. After waiting for 15 minutes, it did a flyby for about 30 seconds before heading over to Austin Road. I only managed a few (really bad) shots but I'm glad I saw it :-)

Oriental Pratincole, Western Treatment Plant

Another 30 minutes of waiting proved fruitless so I headed for the Beach Road entrance and was rewarded with views of six raptor species (Nankeen Kestrel, Black-shouldered Kite, Swamp Harrier, Brown Falcon, Whistling Kite and Little Eagle) during the 10 minute slow drive along Beach Road, with the first two close enough to the roadside to photograph out of the car window.

Black-shouldered Kite, Beach Road, Western Treatment Plant

Nankeen Kestrel, Beach Road, Western Treatment Plant

The Beach Road pond provided good views of a single Glossy Ibis feeding among Purple Swamphens

Glossy Ibis, Western Treatment Plant

Glossy Ibis + Purple Swamphen, Western Treatment Plant

along with several Royal Spoonbills flying around

Royal Spoonbill, Western Treatment Plant

...continued