The 1986 "Birds of Port Phillip Bay" categorises Common
Sandpipers as regular at Swan Bay, Greenwich Bay and Fishermens
Bend (since much developed but not far from Ian Temby's
sighting). I understand that in the 1990s they have been
"regular" at the eastern sewage treatment plant as well as
Werribee.
On our patch they occur in the Beaumaris area with a maximum
count of 4 (1980 and, possibly, 1995) and records in every year
since 1993. Extreme latest date 24/4 and extreme earliest date
28/8 (the Atlas of Victorian Birds has no August record). Scarce
some years.
Certainly not common but it brings back happy memories. It was
the first small wader I ever identified (at Regents Park in
central London,England) - it is a regular passage migrant in
London. I also saw it bobbing around breeding spots in Wales,
near my parents' retirement home.
Michael Norris
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