Ashmead Swamp

Visited: spring

Recommendation: This is a stunning area of the Winton Wetlands and a great place to sit and watch the wildlife come and go around the water.

Ashmead Swamp is another area in Winton Wetlands and here, I stayed at the Crescent Campground. It bordered several swampy areas and in the morning I moved my campervan, very carefully, down a track (backwards) onto the actual Ashmead Swamp. It was full of herons that immediately took off on my arrival. I thought that once I was settled, they would return. They didn't. For 6 hours.

Not to worry, it was very pleasant sitting in the back of the van, drinking tea and just watching. Eventually, fairywren and honeyeaters started to come down to drink. I watched as a young Superb Fairywren danced around on the ground in front of me. It was so lovely.

But then, I saw the flash of a Sacred Kingfisher fly past with a brown lump in its mouth and the fairywren was gone. It was a bit brutal.

The Superb Fairy-wren is a captivating bird known for its striking appearance and complex social behavior. The male Superb Fairy-wren is renowned for its vibrant blue plumage, especially during the breeding season. Females and juveniles, as seen here, are more subdued in color.

These birds live in cooperative groups with one dominant breeding pair and helpers, often previous offspring. Despite being socially monogamous, both males and females often mate with multiple partners. Males perform elaborate courtship displays, including the "sea horse flight," to attract females.

Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus)

White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Part of the problem at the wetlands is that it has its own early warning system. They are called cockatoo. The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo rule here, in large numbers. And they travel in large groups, shrieking all day. And if they spot you, they shriek even more. Not very helpful. And if you happen to avoid the cockatoo then you will find the White-plumed Honeyeater chasing each other around and while their chatter is not as loud, you always know when they are around.

Eventually, the White-faced Heron started to return and forage in the shallow water. Again, lots of youngsters but I thought I might be safe from the horrors of nature as I watched them.

White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

I really wanted to see the Pacific Heron though. While I have seen and photographed lots of them, they are so stunning that I always want to watch them. And there were lots of them around. After waiting another couple of hours, a single bird arrived and stood at the edge of my lens range. After a squabble with the smaller White-faced Heron, it put on a bit of a show for me.

White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica)

There were a lot of dead trees around the whole area and that meant plenty of perching places for the Brown Falcon. These are terrific birds with such variable plumage, you never really know what to expect.

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora)