Birds on the Sand Flats

All these photos were taken earlier this week on a perfect morning down along the bay at Cooloola Cove. It was early in the morning and the tide was well out but slowly coming in.

At first the only birds that I saw were some pelicans way out where there was still some water.

The gradient is so low in the bay that it doesn't take too long for water to slowly seep in on the incoming tide. As it did there were more birds to see - but all a good distance away. There is no chance of getting close-up photos of birds out on the sand flats. Birds see you long before you see them! I heard Grey-tailed Tattlers and when I followed the sound I saw these two birds hunting for food in a puddle of water.

I saw and heard more Tattlers than any other bird that morning. Many of the other shorebirds have already left on their northern migration.

The next bird that I saw was a Double-banded Plover. These birds breed on the braided river channels in south New Zealand and come here for our winter. Of course the Queensland winter is a lot warmer than winter in south New Zealand.I saw quite a number of these birds a good distance away.

There were lots more birds further away which it was difficult to ID. I saw a few Bar-tailed Godwits but most Godwits have already left. I heard an Eastern Curlew but it was too far away to see properly. Most of the birds I saw were smaller shorebirds. Of course there were numbers of Red-capped Plovers (local shorebirds). When I looked at my photos at home I saw a couple of Lesser Sand Plovers with the red splash of color across their front which is their breeding plumage.

Being out on the sand flats when the tide is coming in does give some indication of how many shorebirds are still around but it is definitely not the right place to try for good close photos of any of the birds.

For more photos from around the world visit Our World Tuesday

and for more birds from around the world visit Wild Bird Wednesday.