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[25.1.48] surface and round its shores. The first and 
most outstanding bird was a solitary YELLOW- 
BILLED SPOONBILL, very wary, flying long 
before I got near it and when a mob 
of sheep came dundling down to the water. 
It flew with lazy beats around the swamp 
before gliding down to a new position. Very 
large flocks of SPUR-WINGED PLOVER stood on the 
high banks while MAGPIE-LARKS fed singly by 
the waters-edge. On the water were many 
HOARY-HEADED GREBES, MOUNTAINDUCK, BLACK-DUCK 
a few PINK-EARED DUCK & HARDHEAD. Every so 
often the duck would rise, circling in large 
flocks over-head, the faint hurrying rustle of 
their wings and soft whistling betokening their 
excitement. Many WHISKERED TERNS fed, diving 
over the water, the solitary HERON arose 
suddenly from I NV I S I B I L I TY invisibility and as 
I walked round two SNIPES rose from close 
to my feet. 
It was a perfect day for swamp 
birds particularly as the heat had 
concentrated them near the water. But it 
was not perfect for the watcher who returned 
full of heat, grass-seeds and thirst. 
