The swan population – 113 – is about average, and the same can be said for 29 musk ducks. The above photo shows a male musk duck in his amazing display posture, with head back, lobe taut, tail over the back, and jets of water kicked out sideways.

There has been some concern about numbers of great crested grebes. Their numbers are lower than usual, but not too concerning, at 13.

The Lake Wendouree black duck population is high for this time of the year, at 203.  This probably reflects the current dry conditions throughout the Ballarat district. A dozen freckled ducks, 91 wood ducks and 71 hoary-headed grebes are other totals from a fortnight ago.

The white ibis is always prominent at Lake Wendouree from winter through until late summer. The recent count revealed 128. Sharing the islands, the sky and other parts of the lake with them were 67 little pied cormorants.

Waterhen numbers are low, with just 39 purple swamphens and 27 dusky moorhens counted. The coot is common, but not as common as it has sometimes been, with 1081 counted.

Numbers of non-waterbirds were mostly on the low side, but 27 house sparrows is more than we have had for some time. They have been surprisingly scarce for several years.

A total of 42 species was seen during the count of Lake Wendouree’s birds. Of these, 26 were waterbirds, and 16 non-waterbirds. Australian shelducks were a surprise among the waterbirds, while a few fairy martins were included in the latter group.

No banded stilts were counted.

Spotted dove sighted

The spotted dove (turtle-dove) is not uncommon in Ballarat, but a report of one at Daylesford in spring is unusual.

These doves seem to have been unreported at Daylesford until a couple of months ago.

They are introduced birds, and they like introduced trees and shrubs.

This means that most local reports are from cities and towns.