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A group of 9 braved the horrendous conditions
for the 'Waders for Beginners' outing at Werribee today. Bouts of
torrential rain and gale force southerlies blowing off the bay meant hanging on
to your scope was a priority, and everything was
surfing. The five pommies in the group felt right at
home.
Despite the conditions, 51 species were seen - athough a lower than
normal number enough to keep the group happy. Missing were some of the more
unusual specialties such as Freckled Duck and Glossy Ibis, but most of the
regulars were present - Golden Plover, Banded Stilt, Avocet, Greenshank,
Sharpie, etc. They were just harder to find.
The highlight of the trip occured at the 145 west
drain outlet. As we crossed the strip of beach, a skua flew past. Only
about 50 - 80 meters off shore, it had long narrowish wings, briefly seen
extended central tail feathers and a generally dark colouring underneath with
some mottling and some white at the base of the primaries. Whilst it flew
past, of course another downpour occurred and the wind got stronger
making ID even more difficult. The view was mostly of the underneath as it
banked. I didn't notice a dark cap. My guess is that it was an Arctic Jaegar,
particularly given how close to shore it was. Any comment on how likely
this is so far up the bay, or other suggestions?
cheers,
Joy Tansey
Kensington, Victoria
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