Day 21, Swan Hill to Sydney

Date: Friday November 3rd 2023

Project: Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey

Observers: Richard Kingsford (UNSW), John Porter (NSW DPE)

Trainees: Ashwin Rudder

Pilot: Thomas Clark

Leaving Swan Hill early we made a beeline north to the wetlands of the lower Lachlan. First up was the Great Cumbung Swamp, a magnificent area of extensive reedbeds, River red gum and open water. The wetland is Nationally significant and one of the largest remaining areas of mixed Typha and Phragmites vegetation – it provides critical habitat for Australasian Bitterns and Southern Bell frogs. The swamp complex also supports one of the largest river red gum woodlands in NSW, with more than 50,000 hectares of red river gum. 

Lining up the ducks at Great Cumbung Swamp

Early morning on Great Cumbung Swamp

The swamp was still extensively flooded after the record rainfalls in 2022 so we methodically flew transects back and forth to maximise our sampling and get a good estimate of the waterbirds. There was high species diversity with abundant herons, egrets, cormorants, grebes, terns, Blacktailed Nativehens, spoonbills, Purple Swamphens, Grey Teal, Black Duck, Mountain Duck, Pink-eared Ducks, Eurasian Coot and Black Swans.

Counting on Great Cumbung Swamp

Counting on Great Cumbung Swamp

Our next target was the braided floodplains and lakes of the Merrowie and Merrimajeel Creek systems. These were significantly drier than the previous year although water remained in some of the deeper swamps and lakes such as Peppermint Swamp, Lake Waljeers, Murrumbidgil Swamp and Lake Merrimajeel. They supported abundant waterbirds including, cormorants, egrets, spoonbills, herons and Grey Teal, Australasian Shoveler, Black Duck, Pink-eared Duck and Mountain Ducks.

Booligal wetlands

With the counting on these systems complete we headed to Griffith to refuel and then onto Sydney to prepare for the final week of counting in our annual cross country marathon.