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Hi Birders,
The Little Curlews seen at Ash Island
by Steve Roderick and Co during the Twitchathon on 28 October 2001 caused some
degree of envy and disbelief in the hearts of the Central Coast Champions, as we
had spent an hour at the Ash Island Ponds from 5-6 am on the same day without
seeing those birds! However it is interesting to note that the first Australian
record and world record for the Little Curlews came from 2 birds shot in a flock
of 20 at nearby Maitland Racecourse on the 4th April 1839 by John Gould himself
and these birds became the two type specimens for the species (see Goulds
Handbook 1865). Prior to this the bird was unknown to science.
Subsequently they have been recorded
in the Hunter Region on a number of occasions since viz:
21/9/1968 Kooragang
Island
12/12/1969
Kooragang Island
15/2/1975 2
Kooragang Island
21/10/1980 1
Harrington
8/3/1984 32
Kooragang Island
10/1/1985 2
Wentworth Swamp, Maitland
6/1/1991 2
Wentworth Swamp, Maitland
16-29/10/1994 7
Kooragang Island & 18/10/1994 1 at Ash Island
So that 3 at Ash Island on 28/10/2001
although uncommon in the Hunter were not unexpected as they have been seen at
Ash Island before and occasionally at Kooragang Island, not to mention Wentworth
Swamp and the Racecourse at Maitland, and the date is consistant with its known
occurrence in the Hunter.
The Little Curlew is not on the
Review List for the NSW Records Appraisal Committee. It is a pity that the birds
did not stay around so that others might have the opportunity to see
them.
However Ash Island continues to
provide good birding, as late this afternoon when in the company of Liz Crawford
& Chris Herbert we were fortunate to find a Grey Plover on the Duck
Pond!
Alan Morris
NSWFOC Records Officer
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