YOUNG BIRDER'S NOTES: Waders and Falcons at the WTP

Yesterday morning, I visited the Western Treatment Plant with some friends, in hope of seeing some of this season's waders.
When we arrived, we immediately spotted some of the Treatment Plant's commoner birds in the grassland near the entrance: superb fairy-wrens, Willie wagtails, house sparrows, crested pigeons, black kites and brown falcons were all present. The shed where fairy martins had been roosting last year was still being used, and we were able to get great views of them. At one point, a brown falcon tried to dive-bomb one, and the entire flock around the nests rose up high into the air.

BROWN FALCON

Falco berigora

BLACK KITE

Milvus migrans

As we headed past Lake Borrie, it started to rain, so we settled down and observed a distant flock of waterbirds. Pink-eared ducks, grey teal and chestnut teal were abundant, and we watched 3 Cape Barren geese fly in to graze. In the distance were 3 yellow-billed spoonbills. Reeds around us held many calling golden-headed cisticolas.

GOLDEN-HEADED CISTICOLA

Cisticola exilis

YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILL

Platalea flavipes

As we drove alongside the Little River to the bird hide, Australasian pelicans, hardheads, several musk ducks and a lone blue-billed duck were seen. At the hide itself there was little of interest: however, the shrubs around the hide held many white-browed scrubwren. We drove towards the T-Section Lagoons, stopping on the way to observe a stunning pair of Australian shelducks.

AUSTRALIAN SHELDUCK

Tadorna tadornoides

At the lagoons themselves, we observed large flocks of waders and terns. Yellow-billed spoonbills were resting on a spit of sand, along with two royal spoonbills and several Australian shelducks. Behind them red-necked avocets and white-naped stilts were feeding. Australia's 3 commonest waders were present in large numbers: sharp-tailed sandpipers, red-necked stints and curlew sandpipers. In the distance was a flock of whiskered and white-winged black terns, joined by several bar-tailed godwits. As we approached the flock, a black-shouldered kite flew overhead.