The following is a digest of Sightings Reported on Birdpedia for the period
Monday, March 21, 2011 to Sunday, March 27, 2011:
Area: SA
Date: Thursday, March 17, 2011
Location: Thompson's Beach
Fairy Tern (Sterna nereis) (1) Group of 45 fairy terns 200m south of central
carpark, resting near water's edge. Unusual for this area, where single
individuals are more often seen flying past. A digital image of 28 of these
birds in flight showed 5 immatures.
Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) (1) Four greater sand plovers,
two in breeding plumage, foraging near water's edge opposite central carpark.
Accompanied by 4 double-banded plovers.
Low tidal movements and exceptional air clarity (little heat shimmer) allowed
for relatively easy counting and digital imaging of migratory waders. Manual
observations were later verified by examining the photos. The two knot species
were showing excellent colour, both in number of individuals and degree,
allowing positive discrimination between species. We counted 65 great knots and
over 1000 red knots. Examination of images of flights of up to 500 red knots
showed 2-3% great knots. They slightly preferred the company of bar-tailed
godwits, with 5% incidence in flights of up to 100 godwits. There were
occasional curlew sandpipers in flights of red-necked stints and knots, but no
more than 14 in a single group at ground level. Banded stilts outnumbered
sharp-tailed sandpipers (1 vs 0).
After 6pm, as the tide began to recede, the waders obliged by lining up at the
tidal margin in a continuous band from the southern carpark to the small
estuary approx 1.5km South. It was clear that not many great knots were present
with the largest group numbering 12.
Reported by: Jeff Philcox on Tuesday, March 22, 2011
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Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011
Location: Thompson's Beach
Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus) (2) One bird initially seen at 1600
opposite the T junction car park foraging ahead of a rising tide. At high
tide, 2 males in breeding plumage at the far side of the large pool near the
northern car park.
Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii) (1) 1 male in breeding plumage
with the Lesser Sand Plovers. At least 5 sand plovers in total were present.
No knot of either species was seen, but today's high tide was rising fast.
Reported by: Kevin Stracey on Thursday, March 24, 2011
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