Bungendore is Dux

On 24 February I needed to go to Bungendore a couple of times, and on the second time remembered to take my bins and camera with me.  I stopped at a couple of spots, labelled in this image ....

to count (mainly) waterbirds.  There were no ducks on the Trucking Yard Lane Dam (just North of the Bungendore Meadow Dam).

In total the birds I counted, in about 10 minutes at the Meadow and 20 minutes looking through the fence at the WTP were as follows.  I have highlighted the more exciting sightings.

	Sewage ponds	Bungendore Meadow Dam
Plumed Whistling-Duck	31
Freckled Duck	1
Maned Duck	65	23
Pacific Black Duck	40	16
Australian Shoveler	9
Gray Teal	54	35
Chestnut Teal	6
Pink-eared Duck	7
White-eyed Duck	18
Australasian Grebe	3
Eurasian Coot	2
Masked Lapwing	2
Little Raven		13

This next image gives a bit of context to the Water Treatment Plant observations.

This is a close up of part of the group of Plumed Whistling Ducks (yes I know I have put up many photos of this species, but they are photogenic).

 It is unusual to find them swimming, other than to escape predators.

The haul observed today emphasises the importance of the sewage ponds as a drought refuge.

As a late update, a few days later a local friend reported 41 Whistling Ducks and 10 Pin-ears on these ponds.