Its always a good visit when you see a rare bird (and even if only a glimpse), and get lucky with a few good close ups of a few favourites…I have only seen the Lewin’s Rail once before at the Coolart Wetlands and then this time at the Western treatment Plant.
Lewin’s Rail, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Little Grassbird, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Golden-headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Another bird species that thrives in the reed beds of the Crake Pit at the Pooh Farm is the Australian Reed Warbler…it is more often heard than seen, generally only glimpsed as it flies between clumps of reeds in the lagoons, secretive but loud during Spring/Summer breeding seasons.
The reed warbler has a loud ringing song and has been described as being one of the most melodious singers hence one of its the informal names, Nightingale. Often heard in Spring and Summer in wetlands with good reed coverage. The warbler uses sustained singing to defend its territory amongst the reeds. It migrates north during autumn for the winter and back for the spring.
Acrocephalus australis – Acrocephalus, Greek for ‘peak head’ and australis Latin for ‘southern’ . Also called Clamorous Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Reed-lark, Swamp Tit, Water Sparrow, Nightingale (HANZAB Volume 7b)
Australian Reed Warbler, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
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…got the Damsel fly…
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…a quick leap to the next target…
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…typical pose when seen, hanging onto a reed ready to pounce on prey…
The only place I have regularly seen the Baillon’s Crake:adults and juveniles, is at the Crake Pit at the Western Treatment Plant. According to HANZAB (Handbook of Australian New Zealand Antarctic Birds) it is probably migratory but as it does not call in Winter it is hard to know for sure…however considering how many people are currently visiting the crake pit to look for and photograph the Lewin’s Rail it surely would be seen quite often. On our numerous trips over Summer and Autumn we saw quite a few Baillon’s and they did not appear to be overly shy, often coming right out from under cover. Given the lack of reporting lately I would guess that it does migrate to Northern Australian. It is a very small bird with long olive legs and large feet to help it move across the sodden vegetation. It has small wings so a long flight north is an amazing feat of endurance.
Baillon’s Crake’s formal name is Porazana pusilla (Porzana:Italian dialect for ‘smaller crake’ and pusilla meaning ‘very small’ or ‘paltry’. It has also been called Lesser Spotted Crake, Tiny, Little, Little Water and Marsh Crake.
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Baillon’s Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Sun-baking and preening at a midday roost…
Another day at the Western Treatment Plant looking for Crakes and Rails, and in the next lagoon to the Crake Pit, we found a large flock of Welcome Swallows working a small section of the lagoon scooping small insects off the surface of the water. They stayed in a fairly small area and allowed us to get quite close to attempt some flight shots – often quiet difficult with these fast moving birds.
Welcome Swallows, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Welcome Swallow, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
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The Western Treatment Plant’s Crake Pit has been quite active with a number of crake species taking up residence over the Summer, through Autumn and on into the Winter. A few seem to have even bred and had chicks in the Pit. When visiting I have seen quite a few Spotted Crakes and Baillon’s Crakes but not too many Spotless Crakes. We were quite pleased to see one slowly poke its head through the reeds and then come out to feed. It even had an altercation with an aggressive Spotted Crake.
The Spotless Crake has a few names: formally Porzana tabuensis – Porzana is the Italian (Venetian) name for smaller crake, and Tabuensis after the location of the first Spotless Crake described – Tongapatu, Kingdom of Tonga. Informally the crake has been called Leaden Crake, Spotless Water Crake, Little Swamphen, Swamp Rail and the Motor-car Bird – after one of the revving sounds it makes.
Spotless Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
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a skulking Spotless Crake
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Part of the Crake Pit, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
Spotted and Spotless Crakes – the Spotted moved around and behind the Spotted, who did not seem to notice
But once the Spotless started to glean insects from around the feet of the Spotted, the Spotted finally noticed it and exploded and attacked the bigger Spotless…
The Crake Pit, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
At the Western Treatment Plant and lagoons there is a spot within the T-Section informally called “the Crake Pit“. It is fantastic location for photographing small skulking species of birds that are not often seen – even by avid Birders. It is home to Crakes and Rails. So far at this location I have managed to photograph Baillon’s Crake, the Australian Spotted Crake (also called the Australian Crake or Water Crake) and the Spotless Crake. Also found in this spot are Buff-banded and Lewin’s Rails. Over a series of early morning visits, we managed to spend a few hours each time just sitting and waiting to see what would pop out into the sunlight and starting feeding on the many insects in the water and along the reed beds. It was a very different experience to actually stay in the one spot and wait rather than constantly move around the huge treatment plant lagoons looking for the many species of birds that live and feed here…it felt like a guilty pleasure to just sit and wait (yes, for a birder just sitting still in the middle of a sewerage plant and watching settling/filtering lagoons is a guilty pleasure….)
The photos below are of the Australian Crake also called the Australian Spotted Crake (Porzana fluminea) – Porzana is the Italian (Venetian) name for smaller crakes, and fluminea is Latin for ‘frequenting rivers’.
Australian Spotted Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
The Crake Pit, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
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Australian Spotted Crake, Western Treatment Plant, Victoria
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Over the summer I have visited the Werribee Treatment Plant (the pooh farm) numerous times. Every visit produces a comprehensive list of woodlands, wetlands and shorebird species, great aerial action, lots of raptors and during summer many juveniles. On this visit we drove around the Lake Borrie conservation lagoons and came upon large numbers of Fairy Martins including a good number of Juveniles. The young birds have not learnt to fear cars or humans yet so using the car as a mobile bird hide I was able to get some nice shots of the young Fairy Martins.
Juvenile Fairy Martins, Werribee Treatment Plant, Victoria
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Juvenile Fairy Martins – a little older than the previous pair
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I also managed to sneak a few pics of this little skulker – a Spotless Crake. These birds like a muddy bank and plenty of cover to dart back into protection. They are not often seen and hard to photograph.
Spotless Crake, Werribee Treatment Plant, Victoria
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At this time of year, the number of raptors at the Western Treatment Plant are steadily building up. It can be a good place to practice your flight photography. Along with the raptors that search the ponds and lagoons for prey there are many flocks of ducks and terns .
Brown Falcon, Western Treatment Plant,
Juvenile Sea Eagle flying over the car and spooking 1000s of Pink Eared Ducks
Black Kite
Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern flock hawking for insects near the surface of the ponds
The day can be cold, wet and windy out at the Western Treatment Plant but when the sun comes out and the wind calms down, a little Golden Headed Cisticola comes out to sing and compete with his fellow Cisticolas for territories and mates.
You Yangs, Western Treatment Plant
Golden Headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant
My turn to sing
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A recent visit to the Western Treatment Plant with the Port Phillip Birders produced a good day with many birds on display and good opportunities for taking flight images.
White Necked Heron, Weribee
Pelicans, Weribee
Great Egret, Weribee
The small birds are very aware of what is around and above them and are always on the lookout for the raptors that are everywhere at the Western Treatment Plant lagoons. The images below are from a few visits to the lagoons over the last several weeks. Even in winter it is a haven for many species of birds.
Superb Fairy Wren
Superb Fairy Wren
Little Grassbird
Zebra Finch
Blue Winged Parrot
Red Necked Avocet
Black Falcon
Brown Falcon
Black Kite
Black Shouldered Kite
Last night while trying to figure how to use my long lens to take a night-time photograph of an owl that was high in a pine tree, I took this image. One of many that was blurred and unusable as an ID shot but interesting as an abstract image.
Ghost Owl, Beach Road, Weribee
Over the last few weeks people have been reporting a number of Barn Owls along one of the roads at the Western Treatment Plant. I decided that I would take a look and see if I could find any – I have never actually seen any in the wild before. I went mid afternoon and waited for sunset and for the owls to appear. I eventually saw 3 and took many photos. None turned out well except for these two images. Very pleased to get my 311th Victorian bird and to actually get a few images as well.
Barn Owl, Western Treatment Plant
Barn Owl, Western Treatment Plant
A very photogenic raptor – The Black Shouldered Kite. There are at least a dozen of them at the Western Treatment Plant at the moment. They catch mice and other smaller prey. There must be quite of bit of food around for them as they have started to nest already and it is only mid-winter here in Southern Victoria.
Click image to enlarge
Black Shouldered Kite, Western Treatment Plant
Amongst the many bird species seen and photographed over the last few weeks at the Western Treatment Plant, this little guy is one of my favourites – he is inquisitive, territorial and not afraid to get up and have a look at what is happening in his neighbourhood. I first saw him and heard his melodic call at one of the permit gates entering the Treatment Plant. He dashed off after seeing me but I used my playback call on my phone and he responded and stuck around for a while looking for the intruder. When calling he wags his upright tail back and forth like a battle flag…
Striated Fieldwren – Calamanthus Fuliginosus
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| Mary on Wild Goschen Cockatiels |
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The Gap Year and Beyond 