Day 9, Bourke to Sydney

Date: Wednesday October 12th 2022

Project: Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey

Observers: Richard Kingsford & Paul Wainwright

Pilot: Tim Dugan

Knowing we had a long day, we were up early, taking off over the Darling River.

Sunrise on the Darling River near Bourke.

Our first few wetlands were small flooded claypans and a series of farm dams. None of these had more than one or two waterbirds at the most, and mostly none. The Bogan River was in flood with water across the floodplain. The next waterway flowing north was Marra Creek also with a substantial flood. 

These cotton fields were flooded leaving some bales probably too difficult to move.

Macquarie Marshes in its flooded glory.

As waterbird counters, we hadn’t had to work too hard up to now. Mostly there were relatively few waterbirds, apart from some of the lakes up on Eyre Creek. The diversity also tended to be low. But the Macquarie Marshes were another story. 

Surveying the Macquarie Marshes.

We had to run transects west to east and then back again. These ‘cut’ a 200 m swathe that we survey across the Marshes because there was so much water. There was an amazing diversity of waterbirds: all three ibis species, ducks, herons, swans, cormorants and even magpie geese. It was stunning. 

The Marshes is renowned for its waterbird colonies and today was no disappointment. There some really big colonies, tens of thousands, of ibis. As well there were big egret colonies. No doubt the ducks and many other species would be breeding flat out as well. A great time to be in the Marshes if you can get out there, given the floods and roads, restricting accessibility. 

One of the major colonies in the Marshes with breeding straw-necked ibis and Australian white ibis.

We then flew past lots of flooded areas. The creeks and even the dams were full to overflowing. Some areas which seldom have water such as the Castlereagh Marshes were extensive. They had a few hundred waterbirds but nothing compared to what we had just seen.

Then it was over the Pilliga Forest and on to a swollen Namoi River. It was busting out in all directions, just more of the big flood. 

Namoi River in flood.

Surveying the flooded Namoi River.

Even though there was water everywhere around Narrabri, the waterbirds were thin on the water. Just a few wood ducks and cormorants. More of the same sort of story across a wide expanse of the survey area. However we did see a couple of relatively small wetlands with colonies of whiskered terns.

From here it was up and over the Great Dividing Range. 

One of the big relatively new coal mines we pass on this survey. Once it was a state forest, but that changed around 15 years ago, about a third of the way through our survey.

From here it was dams for the rest of the day. The first was the large water storage on the Namoi, Split Rock Dam which was almost dry in the drought. 

Split Rock Dam had its usual numbers of cormorants and pelicans, probably less than a hundred.

Split Rock Dam on the Namoi River.

Surveying Split Rock Dam.

We then surveyed a few farm dams on our way to Armidale where we refuelled. 

Farm dams near Armidale.

The Gwydir River was running a good flood.

That was the end of our Survey Band 5.

From here we then went south to the end of Survey Band 4 to survey a couple of dams, near Liddell Power Station.

Plashett Dam.

Surveying Plashett reservoir.

Surveying a flooded Hunter River.

That was our stint for the first two weeks. It had been another epic flight, exhilarating but tiring. And of course we're kept busy in the evenings after flying with transcribing all the data. Next week it will be another team heading out to Broken Hill on survey band 4 and then back along survey band 3 to the south.