Whiskered Terns in Carwoola pt 2

Following the initial sighting of Whiskered Terns on the Hoskinstown Plain they appeared to be starting to breed there on 9 December.  Birds were seen carrying vegetation and landing in the reeds in the middle of a Marsh.

Garry and I visited the marsh on the 10th of December and counted at least 40 birds and at least 10 pairs sitting on or near nests.

As far as my research thus far reveals this is the first record of the species breeding in the COG Area of Interest (roughly a rectangle with extrema at Goulburn and Adaminaby) since November 1963.

The pasture around the marsh is, to say the least luxuriant, as shown by the way Herefords only just poke out.

We walked along the edge of the marsh, trying not to think about Tiger Snakes.  Some people get Cleopatra, others get the Asp!

 This gives an idea of the habitat the birds were nesting in.

Whiskered Terns in Carwoola pt 1

Today (13 November) I got a phone call saying that some terns were flying around the swamp in the Plain.  By the time I had got down there they'd been identified as Whiskered Terns and 8 were counted.  One of them came close several times allowing me to get some photos.  (As it was blowing a gale, and the birds fly quite quickly, the photographic process was "Point the camera in the general direction and press the button."  Seems to have worked OK).

 Sometimes there were up to 3 fairly close.  Here's a "poetry in motion" or Monetesque snap of a vol de deux.