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Visited: Autumn and Winter
Recommendation: The best time to visit the wetlands is when the water is low, forcing the birds out into the margins. My first visits in March were incredible with crakes running round my feet. Visiting again in winter was much less productive as the water was much higher.
Heading west from Wagga Wagga, I made a stop at Leeton to go to Fivebough Wetlands. Talk about right place, right time, visiting in early Autumn proved to be a winner. A few weeks ago, the whole area had been flooded and there were no birds to be seen. On my visit, the water was much lower and the birdlife was incredible. On my first visit, I spent over 6 hours wandering around and counted nearly 60 species.
The wetlands are located just a stone's throw away from Leeton in New South Wales, Australia. The area is classified as a Crown reserve for Environmental Protection and Public Recreation. It is also internationally recognized as a Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar site) due to the exceptional habitat it provides for water birds, particularly threatened and endangered species.
Fivebough Wetlands encompasses an area of approximately 342 hectares, featuring permanent and intermittent freshwater-brackish shallow wetlands. It provides a vital habitat for over 200 different bird species, making it a birdwatcher's paradise. I loved it here.
Crakes
Australian Spotted Crake (Porzana fluminea)
Spotless Crake (Zapornia tabuensis)
Australia has a few interesting crake species, but the most widespread and well-known is the Australian Crake, also known as the Australian Spotted Crake or just Spotted Crake. There is also the Spotless Crake and I was lucky enough to find both species here.
Australian Spotted Crake: Prefers freshwater and saltwater wetlands with well-vegetated edges, including marshes, swamps, estuaries, and saltmarshes. They can also be found in damp areas inland after heavy rains.
Spotless Crake: Primarily found in coastal areas, around mangroves, mudflats, and saltwater lagoons. They are less likely to be found in freshwater wetlands compared to the Australian Spotted Crake.
While the Australian Spotted Crake has brown upperparts with black and white streaks, the Spotless Crake has primarily grey-blue plumage overall. As you can see by the photos, you can hardly get them mixed up. They are surprisingly small as well, making moorhen and coot look positively huge!
Egrets & Herons
Great Egret (Ardea alba) & Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia)
The Great Egret and the Plumed Egret are both elegant wading birds found in Australia, but they have some key differences that can help you tell them apart.
Size:
Great Egret: The larger of the two. They can grow up to 90-100 cm in height with a wingspan of up to 180 cm.
Plumed Egret: Slightly smaller, typically reaching 70-80 cm in height with a wingspan of around 130-140 cm.
The Great Egret has a more elongated neck, often with a distinct kink it. However, the giveaway for the great egret is that its gape extends past the eye, but doesn't on the Plumed Egret. You can just see that on the photo here.
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)
The Little Egret is a small, white heron with a widespread global range, typically measuring around 60-65 cm in height with a wingspan of 88-105 cm. It has predominantly white plumage with a slender black bill and yellowish (sometimes blackish) legs. In breeding plumage, adults will have two long, wispy plumes on the back of their head and a spray of white plumes on their lower back.
Little Egrets are adaptable and can be found in various wetland habitats, including lakes, rivers and marshes. They can even be seen in some agricultural areas, following cattle or other grazing animals to catch insects disturbed by their movements.
These lovely little herons are fabulous to watch as they are the most active species when hunting. Usually working alone, they dart around in shallow water using their agility to catch small, fast fish.
Pacific Heron (Ardea pacifica)
Other Birds
Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes)
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)
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