Spring update from Mt Burr Swamp
‘Planting, planting and more planting’ has been the catchcry at Mt Burr Swamp lately through funding from two sponsored projects from Graymont and Department of Transport and Infrastructure (SA). Over 5500 plants have gone in around the edge of the wetland to create riparian zone vegetation where it is still damp this past month or so. We’ve had some great assistance from schools, volunteers and Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation field crew to see this task through. We now have one more year of planting to prepare for!
Birdlife on our wetlands at Mt Burr have hung around with recent observations of Australasian bitterns, and a few new species to the site like Pied Stilts and Fairy Martins. Our regular flocks of Brolga still frequent the wetlands on the property and surrounding paddocks. Here is a snippet from a recent visitor to Mt Burr Swamp ‘Julian’ who visited only last weekend.
“Since our Hamilton Birdlife Group visit earlier this year I have been keen to get another look at Mt Burr Swamp; yesterday seemed to be a perfect day for a Spring Sunday drive, so I snuck off early, in heavy fog, to go for a look. The fog persisted all the way and was still about at Mt burr Swamp when I got there, soon after sunup.
After visiting several wetlands on our side of the border recently, Mt Burr Swamp looked a real oasis; ours are mostly dry. We have not heard an Australasian Bittern yet this season, I was hoping you might have one there.
I spent a couple of very pleasant hours wandering around the margins, ending up walking two laps in total, seeing some nice birdlife, highlighted by Swans with cygnets, a single Magpie Goose, one Royal Spoonbill, 2 Pied Stilts, a friendly Whistling Kite, several Egrets, and Reed Warblers.
I didn’t hear a boom, but I flushed a Bittern; the bird circled high over the swamp and dropped down in the water ribbons on the N side; very exciting to see!
On the way home I called at two Strathdownie swamps, but they were pretty dry and not in the Mt Burr Swamp league this year.
Cheers
Julian Sheahan”
The revegetation effort is supported through two projects funded by Graymont and Department for Transport and Infrastructure (SA)