Griffith, NSW

I noticed the weather report on Thursday night suggesting that a cold snap was headed towards Canberra. The external weather seemed to confirm this on Friday.

This was my Canberra weekend and as I am a Queenslander I was a bit worried.

Friday night I decided to drive west on Saturday until I found some good weather. I looked at my road map and Griififth seemed a good idea, about 400 k from Canberra.

I arrived about lunch time on Saturday, 1st stop was the Tourist Information office and I asked the question 'Do you have a brochure called Bird Trails of Griffith'. I got a positive response and 2 brochures - 'Bird Routes of Griffith' and 'Bird Trails of the Riverina and South West Slopes of NSW'.

On Saturday afternnon I went to the places in or around Griffith:

Nericon Swamp - dry, not very productive but I got White-fronted Chat, Weebill, Grey Fantail and Striped Honeyeater.

Campbell's Swamp - wow, great, pics of Whistling Kite, Brown Goshawk,Black-tailed Nativehen (at least 30 birds), Red-kneed Dotterel (20 birds), Pink-eared + Freckled Ducks, Australasian Shoveler, Australian Spotted Crake, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and others

Lake Wyangan South - cormorants of all species were well represented, 100s there

Griffith Sewerage Ponds - locked, no access

Griffith Saleyards - Pink-eared duck, other waterfowl

On Sunday I went to:

Campbell's Swamp - it was busier than Saturday, Whistling Kite, another raptor (ID needed), hundreds of Tree Martins & Welcome Swallows, Restless Flycatcher, Swamp Harrier

Griffith - Yellow-throated Miner (I got the dark race Obscura or Dusky Miner) in WA, I was looking for the Black-eared Miner and will check pics from both days

Cocoparra National Park - it is a shame that I have to work, pics not sorted yet so I may have better ones than displayed, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Red-capped Robin, Southern Whiteface, Blue Bonnet, Mulga Parrot, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Speckled Warbler, Jacky Winter, Spotted Pardalote, Black-eared Miner (found it)