I did not expect to see many waterbirds, telling the group that the birds have half of Australia to choose from at present so could be anywhere.
To my surprise we actually did quite well with waterbird sightings. We had excellent views of groups of White-necked Herons and Australian White Ibis, plus two White-faced Herons and a Yellow-billed Spoonbill, all close to shore. There were a few ducks; Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck and a pair of Hardhead, plus 2 different cormorants. And we saw one Black Swan. Brown Quail were calling loudly in the long grass near the boat ramp, but they stayed well hidden, as did the calling Little Grassbird. We had good views of Sacred Kingfishers and Red-rumped Parrots.
We recorded 28 bird species on our walk. Here is a link to the eBird list:
https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S123583827
Other animals seen were Grey Kangaroos and a Black Wallaby. We were surprised to see a large Eastern Bearded Dragon in the middle of the walking track. This reptile is listed as Vulnerable in Victoria, so we were lucky to see one.
Wildlife Calendars from the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority
There has been a much smaller print run of calendars this year, and they are no longer being posted out. It is worth checking at the DELWP Benalla office in Sydney Road to see if you can obtain one. There were also a few copies at the Benalla Council office when I called there today (12 December).
Enjoy a happy and healthy Christmas,
Kathy Costello