Visited: dry season
Recommendation: This is a total gem of a place, possibly the only sewage plant with such access. Volunteers take visitors around the area, which gives you the latest knowledge about the plant. Undoubtedly, one of the best bird watching locations in the whole country, t is worth a visit at any time.
The Alice Springs treatment plant is unique. It is recognised as one of the best birding areas in Australia and it is most unusual in that you can access it. With some safety formalities and a volunteer guide, you can walk around the ponds at your leisure. Contrary to the impressions of non-bird watcher civilians, it doesn't smell, it is very beautiful and very interesting. My guides have always been knowledgeable and helpful - it makes all the difference. It is best to go as early as possible, even in the cooler months as the rising sun on your back warms you up very quickly. Photography is not guaranteed despite the great conditions but I have seen many lifers here and the experience is a real birding thrill.
The first birds you are likely to see and hear are the Little Crow. They sit on the fences, bounce around the grassed areas outside the plant and can be seen sitting on the low level bushes. Distinguishing between the Little and Torresian Crow has proved to be a challenge for me as the differences between them are so subtle. Anyway, in Alice Springs the birds are Little Crows. A lot of times with corvids, geography is the biggest help in identification.
Little Crow (Corvus bennetti)
As you hit the ponds themselves, you will start to see waders. Most common was the Black-fronted Dotterel and they will take flight as soon as your get too close. The ponds are a great place to see Wood Sandpiper in the open. I rattled off dozens of photographs on one occasion and laughed when I processed them. The bird was so still that every photo was exactly the same. Some birds are just more active than others I guess.
The Wood Sandpiper is not common in Australia, but it can be found throughout the continent, with higher concentrations in the north-west. They are migratory birds that breed in Eurasia and spend their non-breeding season in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)
Around the ponds, you can hear the haunting high pitched call of the Little Grassbird. The inhabit thick areas of vegetation and there, you can also hear the more melodius calls of the fairywren. All 3 local species of fairywren, the Splendid, Purple-backed and White-winged can be found here. The females and juveniles are all plainer than the more shy cand colourful males. It can be hard to distinguish between the species in the field so I find photography can be a great help later on.
Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus)
Male White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus)
Female Splendid Fairywren (Malurus spendens)
Male Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis)
The highlight of any visits are seeing the shy crakes. Management of the ponds means that the vegetation changes on each visit. On one occasion, we found an Australian Spotted Crake out in the open. Amazingly, it not only came out into the open but the sun was actually in the right place. We ended up seeing 2 birds out in the open in different places which was just magic for my first sighting of this cryptic and shy species. However, on my next visit the vegetation was gone and the occasional glimpse was all I got.
On a later visit with a different volunteer, we were fortunate enough to spot a Baillon's Crake which is surely the most secretive of all the crakes species. Only a fleeting glimpse but just long enough to get a shot before it disappeared back into the reeds.
Australian Spotted Crake (Porzana fluminea)
Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla)
It was no surprise that the Black-tailed Nativehen was present as it is found in a variety of aquatic habitats, including swamps, marshes, and ponds. It was more of a surprise that it was out in the open as they are usually very shy. More of a surprise was seeing them at all. Although they are widespread across Australia, they are much less common in hot, desert areas like Alice Springs. I think the lure of these incredible wetlands is responsible for their presence.
Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis)
There were only a few Pink-eared Duck on the ponds and they were quite far away. This interesting duck is so named for its distinctive pink-colored ear tufts. These tufts are located behind the eyes and are most prominent in males during the breeding season. I would have thought that unusual bill would be a better descriptor for this duck as the pink tufts are so rarely seen. Anyway, it was good to see them.
Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus)
There is a theme here - lots of shy waterbirds. Although this dotterel seems to be looking straight at me, it is quite a long way away. My camera lens is long and can reach birds at quite a distance. This adult bird was more concerned with the young chicks running around the water's edge.
These large dotterel are primarily found in Australia with some sightings as far south as Tasmania, east as New Zealand and north as New Guinea.
Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus)
The Red-necked Avocet, a striking waterbird native to Australia, is known for its distinctive appearance and unique feeding habits. They are difficult to get close to, being very shy and skittish. The sewage ponds are a good place to see them although, with no cover, they can see you coming a mile away!
The Red-necked Avocet is predominantly white with a chestnut-brown head and neck, contrasting black wingtips, and a long, slender, upturned black bill. Its long, pale gray legs are well-suited for wading in shallow water. Adults typically measure around 43-45 cm from head to tail, with a wingspan of about 75 cm.
Red-necked Avocets inhabit a variety of shallow wetlands, including salt marshes, estuaries, and inland lakes. They are nomadic, moving in response to changes in water levels and food availability. This means it is exciting when you come across a group of them. They often forage and breed in flocks, sometimes mixed with other wading birds like Stilts.
Red-necked Avocets wade in shallow water, sweeping their bills side to side to catch small invertebrates like insects, crustaceans, and seeds.
Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae)