Over 40 mm of rain in July turned the park around; vegetation recovered rapidly, although many dead trees and shrubs remain from the preceding dry months. Resident species such as Superb Fairy-wrens and White-plumed Honeyeaters are present in high numbers, along with a dozen or so Spotted Pardalotes, confirming a healthy supporting ecosystem. However the extensive emergence of weeds in mulched areas will need attention.
Almost all waterbirds recorded in this survey were on the large freshwater lake. As with last survey, Chestnut Teal and Pacific Black Duck numbers are low, but there are more Hardheads than usual.
The large saltwater lake is now dark brown with very little bird life – just a pair of Chestnut Teal.
A highlight was observing four Australasian Shovelers (two pairs) on the large freshwater lake – the first since August 2016. The species is generally recorded 2-3 times annually, but was also absent from 2010-1.
