As everyone who lives in Victoria already knows it has been a very wet year this year due to the affects of a La Nina weather pattern across Eastern Australia. On a previous visit to the Terrick Terrick area of Northern Victoria two years ago, during a period of drought, it was very dry and there were no ephemeral wetlands present. However this year we visited a number of interesting ephemeral wetlands in the area.

Here is a summary of the wetlands we found and the interesting species located there.

Timms Lake, located about 5 kms north of Terrick Terrick National Park on the Sylvaterre - Timms Lake Road: There were a few water birds here including Black-winged Stilts and Red-kneed Dotteral, there was also a White-backed Swallow hawking over the wetland and a few Rainbow Beaeaters.

Swamp located on the Mount Terrick Road, between the Echuca Mitiamo Road and Highett Road: This is a thick lignum swamp, all sorts of interesting birds could be hiding in here, there was a report of an Australian Bittern seen here earlier in the week. Interesting birds that we saw included a Musk Duck, White-necked Heron and Black-tailed Native-hen.

Wetlands on Highett Road, East of Terrick Terrick NP: There were a couple of wetlands on Highett Road, one was particularly good with nesting Black-winged Stilts and Masked Lapwings, there were hundreds of stilts, Red-kneed Dotterels and Black-fronted Dotterels, a variety of ducks including seven Plumed Whistling-Duck and a couple of Hardhead. We also accidently flushed two Latham's Snipe which we were excited to see. Other interesting birds were a couple of Black-tailed Native-hens, a White-necked Heron, a Darter and some Australasian Grebes.