Homebush (8th October '06)

Swamptastic!

The football finals have all finished now so I was able to return to the bush at the weekend at last. I didn't go far. Just 10 minutes up the road to the wetlands in Bicentennial Park which is the area around the 2000 olympic games site.

The wetlands next to Mason Park

It was warm as I set off - over 30C - but then a cold change came through bringing strong gales and a 10 degree instant drop in temperature! This meant that most of the birds tucked down into the bushes and the thick grass out of the wind so there was not an awful lot to see. At first glance it just looked like a load of the ubiquitous black-winged stilts and similarly omnipresent chestnut and grey teal. Just as well then that on further inspection two of the species that seemed happy to display themselves in those conditions were new ones for me!

Sharp-tailed sandpipers

These were two species of sandpiper that would have just arrived from the northern tundra a couple of weeks back. There were loads of sharp-tailed sandpiper #250 and in one of the little groups, a single curlew sandpiper #251. There may have been others but most of the little waders were out in the middle of the shallow ponds and would have required a scope to pick.

There was also a group of 26 red-necked avocets which are allegedly very unusual in the Sydney region although I've seen them twice at Homebush now. There was also a lone hoary-headed grebe in full breeding plumage which was very nice considering the pain that Jarrod and I suffered in identifying them in non-breeding plumage a few weeks ago up at Wyong sewage treatment plant. And speaking of breeding plumage, the cattle egrets were up to it as well which I've not seen before.

Is that a..... Yes! Red-necked avocet!

The bottlebrush was out in a very bright display but the wind kept all the honeyeaters away. They usually love a bit of it!

Some sort of bottlebrush. Very nice.

You can never have too many pictures of blue wrens I say. They're great! Here are some more.

Superb fairy-wren

And finally, its competition time! Who can spot the lone curlew sandpiper in among the sharp-tailed ones?!