AUSTRALIA - HOLIDAY/RECCE TOUR - DAY 6 - OCT 2ND - WAGGA WAGGA TO CANBERRA

Today we left Wagga Wagga and drove to Canberra so my birding was limited to an early morning walk around Lake Albert. I went in a different direction than yesterday and stumbled upon some reed-fringed pools and wooded areas. It was a another beautiful morning bright sunshine and the cold wind had gone, perfect for birding.

WILLIE WAGTAIL - yes that's its real name and he does wag his tail
 from side to side, unlike the misnamed wagtails of Europe that 'pump' their tails up and down

I saw most of the species from yesterday's list but added a handful of new ones. The lorikeets, parrots, cockatoos and galahs were buzzing about noisily as before and the group of Pelicans roosted in the same spot. I saw a Willie Wagtail close up for the first time and got these pictures (above).



Dawn had to stick her 'oar in' and produce this lovely picture of the Pelicans

A mixed group of swallows and martins had roosted in the reeds and were now preening before flying off to feed on the wing all day, with the usual Welcome Swallows were both Fairy Martins and a single Tree Martin.

Welcome Swallows with Fairy Martins

Tree Martin with Fairy Martin (right)

Then I saw a small group of waders ahead of me on a sandy bank, they looked and acted just like Ringed or Kentish Plovers but the Australians for some reason call them Dotterels.

Black-fronted Dotterel

As the sun rose it got warmer and the light was superb I couldn't resist taking pictures of any bird that posed for me.

Galah

female Superb Fairy Wren

The male Superb Fairy Wren is stunning but would not sit still enough for me to digi-scope him.



Australian Reed Warbler 

The Australian Reed Warblers look a bit more like Hippolais warblers than Acrocephalus, there were dozens of them mulling about.

We left Andrew and Jane at 10am and said goodbye to Wagga Wagga and their beautiful home. Our journey to Canberra was leisurely we took our time and made a few stops for coffee and lunch. At the lunch stop we saw our first 'real' Kingfisher on a wire above a roadside brook. Dawn photographed and we identified it as a common species, the Sacred Kingfisher, lovely, the first is always the best.

the Rabbits over here are enormous and their feet are huge,
I don't know how they clamber into their burrows (Dawn)

We arrived in the centre of Canberra late afternoon, we had booked a room in the University Hotel which is slap bang in the centre of t;he University Campus. After settling in for a while we set off for a walk to the Canberra Museum. It was a pleasant walk along the lake shore but we had limited time at the Museum.

a very large Kingfisher the Kookaburra (Dawn)

Dinner was taken in one of the University restaurants (more like a canteen) but the food was good and much cheaper than in town.