Observations were made from the picnic area on the northern side of the pondage and from the south-west corner.

 

The afternoon walk was under quite warm conditions with no air movement. Despite this, twenty seven species of bird were seen on and around the pondage.

 

Grey Butcherbird

Pied Currawong

Pacific Black Duck

 

White Ibis

Black Swan

Hoary-headed Grebe

 

Red Wattlebird

Great Cormorant

Musk Duck

 

Magpie

Coot

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

 

Magpie Lark

 

 

The south-west corner. The party moved to the south-west section of the pondage and scanned the water and walked part of the track on the southern bank.This habitat consisted of willows (beginning to drop leaves), reed beds, wattles including Blackwoods, some eucalypts and an understorey of dense varied growth. The birds seen along this stretch were:

 

Grey fantail

Silvereye

Brown Thornbill

 

Red-browed Firetail

Superb fairy-wren

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

 

Crimson Rosella

Welcome Swallow

White-browed Scrub-wren

 

Golden Whistler (male)

Yellow Robin

 

 

and on the water the additional birds:

 

Great Crested Grebe

Chestnut Teal

 

 

There were large rafts of Coots and a further six black Swans.
Trout, approx 30-35 cm in length were jumping clear of the water.

 

Piniger Lookout. The group drove to the Mt Piniger Lookout.
A Black Wallaby was observed on the road to the lookout.
Members appreciated the view of the reservoir, the dam wall,
and the construction work underway to improve the strength of the top section of the wall,
and the view of the ranges to the west.