Greenfields Wetlands

Just before Christmas, I went to Whites Road to look for a reported Painted Snipe, but the pools were almost dried up, and no sign of the bird.   This Great Egret - in full breeding plumage - was on another pool as was the Black Swan family

 

I moved on to Greenfields Wetland where the problem was just the opposite - too much water!   Again in full breeding plumage, this Royal Spoonbill spent all its time chasing anything that was white, including ibis' and even stilts!

 

A couple of waders managed to find shallow water, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, a summer visitor from Siberia, and a resident Red-kneed Dotterel.

 

Black-tailed Nativehen is an irruptive species that follows the water, and there were lots of them running around here.

 

Further along, another Great Egret, and both small grebes, firstly Australian Little Grebe and then Hoary-headed Grebe.