As well as the Godwits I saw Eastern Curlew, Whimbrels, Common Greenshank, Grey-tailed Tattler, Pacific Golden Plover, Red-capped Plover, Little Egrets, and Pied Oystercatchers. After the roosting flocks were disturbed by the osprey they settled down again in smaller groups among the mangroves and I was able to get quite close without disturbing them.
Bar-tailed Godwits – there is one juvenile just to the right of center.
Common Greenshank
Numbers of Whimbrel had been roosting with the main flock of Godwits and Eastern Curlew but I did find some roosting in mangroves and managed to get this photo although the lighting is not good.
I stepped out on one of the sandbanks to do a closer count of some Red-capped Plovers and Pacific Golden Plovers but then saw there was a very agitated pair of Pied Oystercatchers there as well. When they saw the direction I was walking they flew close overhead almost as if they would dive at me. I backed off and when I was well back in among the mangroves they finally quietened down and then went back to close to where I had first seen them. This behavior seems to be consistent with birds protecting a nest so I hope to get back there in a week or so to try to see them again and see if they have young. I hope that the eggs are close to hatching because the place where the birds were standing this morning will go underwater in the big tides next month.
Mick - you have a wonderful place to see some amazing birds.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures too :D
Thanks Tricia. It sure is a great place to live.
ReplyDeleteHi Mick.
ReplyDeleteTreasure the birds you're seeing. I fear the low counts are part of worse declines to come.
Always amazed at how many waders you have up there. That's what it was like in Scotland. I still don't understand why NW Tassie is so deficient in waders. There are plenty of mudflats in places.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Tony and Mosura. Yes, the predictions are for lower wader counts each year. It is certainly not a good outlook. re the habitat Mosura, the Pumicstone Passage on the Sunshine Coast supports an even greater number of waders than up here, It appears the density of the sea grass beds may be an indicator.
ReplyDeleteGeeee, and here's me excited about a single Sharpie on the local wetland! New record though, must have got lost. :-)
ReplyDeleteI find sharpies very interesting for the variety of habitats they can frequent. We have seen huge numbers at sewerage ponds and only a few around the bay. It will be interesting to see what happens this year as the ponds are all being upgraded = definitely changed!
ReplyDeleteLovely posting, Mick, as usual.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of the Godwits, especially.
It is good to know someone is monitoring the estuaries. These migrant waders face a tough time ahead, I fear, with pollution in Asia and changes to the water regimes in Australia.
Cheer
Denis
Thanks Denis. The biggest local changes are likely to come when/if the state government goes ahead with the dam on the Mary River. This river enters the sea on the northern end of the Great Sandy Straits and one of the catch-cries of the anti dam movement is "Don't Murray the Mary"!
ReplyDeleteHi Mick
ReplyDeleteI am well aware of the campaign against damming the Mary River. I guess it might be a factor.
Pls keep me posted on any developments in htat regard.
Denis
Hi Denis, nice that you have kept up with what is happening up here. I'll post something when we are told what is going to happen. There is a lot of local opposition but it hasn't had much impact so far.
ReplyDelete