To build up an appetite for Christmas lunch, I went for a walk round
Point Cook, on Port Phillip Bay about 20 km west of Melbourne city
centre - easily reached by following the signs from the Westgate
Freeway.
We visited Spectacle Lake which has shrunk to about one-third its winter
size, where there were a few waders, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank and
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper plus Black-tailed Native Hen and Australian
Shelduck.
At Point Cook itself (near the homestead) there was a flock of about
1000 waders feeding on the beach, on the falling tide. These were
predominately Curlew Sandpiper and Red-necked Stint with a few Sharpies
and Red Knot.
Amongst this throng was one Broad-billed Sandpiper (I apologise to the
Melbourne and Victorian birders for not posting this earlier, but I only
discovered the rarity value of this sighting yesterday). My field notes
are as follows:-
Larger than a Red-necked Stint, smaller than Curlew Sandpiper. Most
distinctive features a broad white supercilium extending from in front
of eye to well-behind the eye. Bill proportionally longer than
Red-necked Stint's but shorter than Curlew Sandpiper's although also
down-curved. There seemed to be a reddish tinge to the base of the lower
mandible otherwise the bill was black. The legs were dark, possibly
greenish. Wings extended just beyond the tail. The bird's upperparts
were greyish, but not as grey or as uniform as Curlew Sandpiper. Breast
and undersides to the undertail coverts were white. There was fine grey
streaking on the ear coverts, extending onto the side of the neck and
throat. There was a dark spot or patch on the wing between the bend of
the wing and where it joins the body.
I looked hard for the split eye-strip but could not see it. I did not
see the bird fly and so did not see the rump pattern. When I left the
bird was happily feeding. (any comments on these notes would be
gratefully received)
One other sighting of interest was a dark phase Skua heading past the
point a long way out. I tentatively identified it as an Arctic Skua
because it did not look powerful enough for a Pomarine. However, there
was nothing else with which to compare it and it was a long way out.
Good Birding
Roger Hicks
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Roger Hicks Tel : 03-9369-6023 (home)
4 Hakea Court, 03-9865-8613 (work)
Altona Meadows
Victoria 3028 E-mail:
Australia
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