Nyirripi is about 450 kms west north west of Alice Springs. There are normally around 100 people in the Community. The scenery surrounding the Community is dominated by a couple of hills, the main one is called Karku.
As with a lot of remote Central Australian communities, Nyirripi has its own water treatment facility. This attracts a variety of wildlife, principally birds, but other animals as well. Occasionally, birds are found there that seem a little out of place.
I had returned to the Water Treatment Ponds during lunch hour as I had seen an unusual wader earlier that day. I was training the camera on one of the suspect larger waders when I noticed a much smaller "wader" running and hopping along the edge of one of the ponds. It seemed smaller than the other small waders, and was moving unlike any of the other small waders. As the camera focussed on this new small bird, I realised I had seen that movement before, similar to a Pipit. Just as I managed to snap the focus onto this new visitor, the larger wader took acception to its nearby presence and the small Pipit like bird hopped a couple of times out of the way, then flew to the edge of the pond in front of me, alas out of sight. This was frustrating as I knew by now I thought had found an Eastern Yellow Wagtail, or Gray Wagtail, but didn't have any clear photos. I watched and waited, constantly scanning the raised levy in front of me, hoping a head would appear. After a little while I had almost given up, thinking it must have flown off without me seeing it. I looked towards the next pond, when there it was, standing proudly, then almost parading itself, walking, hopping along the concrete edge. Finally a decent chance for photos. Unusually, a Gray Wagtail at Nyirripi, Central Australia.
As with a lot of remote Central Australian communities, Nyirripi has its own water treatment facility. This attracts a variety of wildlife, principally birds, but other animals as well. Occasionally, birds are found there that seem a little out of place.
I had returned to the Water Treatment Ponds during lunch hour as I had seen an unusual wader earlier that day. I was training the camera on one of the suspect larger waders when I noticed a much smaller "wader" running and hopping along the edge of one of the ponds. It seemed smaller than the other small waders, and was moving unlike any of the other small waders. As the camera focussed on this new small bird, I realised I had seen that movement before, similar to a Pipit. Just as I managed to snap the focus onto this new visitor, the larger wader took acception to its nearby presence and the small Pipit like bird hopped a couple of times out of the way, then flew to the edge of the pond in front of me, alas out of sight. This was frustrating as I knew by now I thought had found an Eastern Yellow Wagtail, or Gray Wagtail, but didn't have any clear photos. I watched and waited, constantly scanning the raised levy in front of me, hoping a head would appear. After a little while I had almost given up, thinking it must have flown off without me seeing it. I looked towards the next pond, when there it was, standing proudly, then almost parading itself, walking, hopping along the concrete edge. Finally a decent chance for photos. Unusually, a Gray Wagtail at Nyirripi, Central Australia.
Gray Wagtail
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