These are rare birds nationwide.

Not far away are 50 more.

To have 100 freckled ducks at Lake Wendouree for a few months is noteworthy.

Freckled ducks are officially classified as threatened in Victoria.

They have long been occasional visitors at Lake Burrumbeet, but they were not listed at Lake Wendouree until 1990.

They have never been known to nest in the Ballarat district.

Their headquarters is the Murray–Darling and Riverina region.

However, they occur sporadically across much of the continent, including the south-west.

How long these rare ducks will remain at Lake Wendouree is unknown.

This is the time of the year when most birds are preparing for nesting, so some of them may soon depart.

In the meantime, if you would like to see them, you will find them in the pool just north of the Olympic rings.

They rest quietly there all day, very close to the path.

You can see them perched on the lowest branches of willows, bodies out of the water but feet wet.

You will recognise them by their plain dark plumage with fine sandy freckles.

Also, the top of a freckled duck’s head has a short point – a tiny crest.

And the top of the bill is noticeably “dished” (it has been likened to a ski jump), rather than being almost straight like that of most ducks.

These features can be seen in the accompanying photo, taken by Ballarat photographer Carol Hall.

The red tone on the bill indicates that this one is a male.

A thousand people probably pass within five or six metres of them every day.

But they would be oblivious to the rare bird almost under their noses.

There are about 50 of them there and there is another 50, more scattered and better-hidden, in the same lagoon, behind the judges’ box. 

Most of their feeding is done at night.

Brisbane Ranges beauty

Golden wattles are a picture along many of the roads through the Brisbane Ranges at present. Myrtle wattles, hedge wattles and other wattles are also flowering, along with numerous smaller shrubs and wildflowers.

While the peak wildflower season is yet to come, the Brisbane Ranges is certainly attractive and colourful right now. Hakea and dusty miller are white shrubs, while golden grevillea lives up to its name. Beneath these shrubs are wildflowers such as orchids, sundews and hoveas.