Following on from Gavin's note, I finally got lucky this morning at Lk
Atkinson - I had been poking about in the back blocks of the dam, and
had a yak with a local grazier who commented that they'd been having a
drought for a decade - clearly apparent with a sign saying "no power
boats beyond this point" over 500 metres from the edge of the water. I
came back through the electric fence and had just observed a group of 5
ground cuckoo-shrikes doing their apostlebird routine, when the pair of
little curlews blew in. They came in high, and vaguely snipe-like
[obviously without the long bill] and alighted near the fence. I got
some distant views and photographs before they scarpered and some heavy
showers started to roll in.
My impression of the birds is that they tend to fly further when
disturbed or when the whim takes them, so that it is quite possible
that whether you see them in a particular location is the luck of the
draw.
Regards, Laurie.
On Saturday, January 10, 2004, at 09:31 PM, gavin goodyear wrote:
G'day all,
Just letting people know the Little Curlews at Lake Atkinson in the
Lockyer Valley, Qld were present this afternoon.
I fluked them straight away after arriving at the boat ramp end of the
lake. While scanning the water for waterfowl and terns before heading
down to the lake, I noticed a pair of smallish waders with the basic
flight jizz of Whimbrels fly from east to west and land in the water
near some Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Black-winged Stilts. Walked
straight up to them and had great close views. It took a bit of the
fun out of it finding them so soon but it is a species I have only
observed once before near Georgetown Qld in Nov 1997 so I was happy to
have caught up to them again.
Thanks again to people who report their findings so people can go out
and have a look.
Cheers
Gavin Goodyear
Murrumba Downs Qld
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