Fishers Wetland - Site Guide

Fishers is being particularly productive at present with regular sightings of visitors including black-winged stilt, black-tailed native hen and many duck varieties. Buff banded rail (photos) and Australian spotted crake are also being seen. Cape barren geese seem to be the new black swan currently.

About Fishers Wetland
The sanctuary is currently a designated part of the Phillip Island Nature Park. It lies adjacent to the Churchill Island road near Newhaven on Phillip Island (see geo-mapped Location link at base of blog). Although it is easiest to park at the wetlands themselves (some birds best seen from the car) there is however a pleasant eucalypt woodland walk which starts at the park gates back near the main Phillip Island road. White-naped honeyeater, pardalote and red-wattlebird are seen in this first bushland area.

The eucalypt section 

The car park ('love that Impreza!)

Cape Barren Geese near the boardwalk

The woodland walk joins the road and becomes a boardwalk which is conveniently elevated in parts enabling views of the wetlands. The boardwalk takes you back to the carpark from which one can continue to the northern section of the reserve. This includes a track through ti-tree and salt marsh giving views of Rennison Bight and Churchill Island. White-browed scrubwren, superb fairy wren and flame robin have been seen here.

This part of the reserve has been enhanced with information signs with cultural information and a meeting area.

Bird Hide
There is also a bird hide however due to it's distant location and vegetation growth since it's construction useful viewing of birds is limited!

'love that bike!

Seasonal conditions
Large sections of the wetlands are dry in drought.

Access
Although the Churchill Island road is closed to cars outside of business hours, there is free access to walkers and cyclists at all hours to Fishers Wetland (it is a 400m walk to the wetlands from the gate).

WESBOC outing
The Westernport section of BOCA is having an outing at Fishers on 27 April 2012 (details here)

Support from shooters?
A brochure titled Secure Australia's Wetlands lists Fishers as a wetland that has

benefited from major "on ground" conservation works initiated by FGA and Game hunters. 

It goes on to say:

Field and Game Australia Inc (FGA) was established in 1958 by hunters who were concerned about the loss of habitat and species of birds they loved to observe and hunt. Today FGA is one of Australia’s leading volunteer organisations in Wetland Conservation, Ethical Hunting and Competition Target Shooting.

Hmmmm....I don't know quite what to make of that!

Fishers wetland looking south from the car park
Currently a birding "hive" of activity.
The buildings of the Woolamai estate are in the background
as well as a limp windsock from the airfield.

Australian spotted crake - a lifer for me on 31/12/2011
Three birds were seen yesterday when this photo
was taken (the tail of a second bird lurks top right).

Pelican & black-winged stilt

Teal, hardheads, coot.

Australasian shovelers

Great egret - frequently seen at Fishers

Royal spoonbill - seen often but not always in the
current numbers (up to 5-6)

Do all Australian shelduck have the white neck ring?
(Also below) 

Birdlist available at Eremaea all time list for Fishers Wetland.

New Year's Eve Rail

Enjoyed an hour or two at Fishers Wetland at Phillip Island on the morning of New Year's Eve (it works quite well - the gurlz drop us off as they are visiting the Churchill Island farmer's market).

I enjoyed a "lifer" being Australian Spotted Crake. Being with Richard saved me the need to later finger through field guides as he was able to tell me straight away what this handsome little fellow was (a few piks later, distant but cooperative).

The highlight of the day was a Buff-banded rail of the relaxed variety who was happy to hang around for a few snaps (we walked away from him in the end!). This is not a resort area but I was reminded of Graham Pizzey's words:

"shy, mostly keeps to cover but becomes remarkably tame on some island resorts"

You can see Richard's back-story & images of the same rail at Richard's Australian birds blog.

This link takes you to an earlier post featuring my muggle (non-birder) Mum's picture of a funny looking bird wandering through their cafe while on Lord Howe Island!

In the news

A great article about current Spotted pardalote behaviour in our neck of the woods recently in The Age. The photos are awesome. See it at:

Spotted! The birds who flew to earth and then will leave.

It probably explains why even I can currently get photos of this tree-top dweller

Spotted pardalote, Blackburn Lake