g'Day all.
This morning at about 11.30 hrs, on the exposed mud flats at Thompson
Beach (eastern margin of St Vincent Gulf approx. 60 km north of
Adelaide), there were thousands of larger waders comprising mostly
Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Knot and Lesser Knot. There were also good
numbers of Grey Plover, Turnstone, Greenshank, with smaller numbers of
Golden Plover, Red-necked Stint, Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
More than half the waders present are showing traces of breeding
plumage, some almost complete and although generally approachable, they
spook easily and mass into typical pre migration flocks, erratically
wheeling in tight formations about the area for up to a minute before
settling again.
Counting the Godwits stopped at about 830 when most of the birds took
flight, but no more than two thirds had been covered. There were also
more flocks of Godwits wheeling about to the south of us and also others
to the north. Knot numbers are about the same.
The wader population here has been building up for the past month. At
present, Thompsons Beach on a falling tide can be described as "knot a
bad spot" for bird watching.
Regards
Ian and Pat May
Adelaide
Tel: 0409 474 575
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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