Hi all
Last night Richard Baxter and myself discovered a South Island Pied
Oystercatcher at Stockton Sandpit in Newcastle. The bird was with 7
Australian Pied Oystercatchers on exposed mud between the back of the
sandspit and some mangroves. We watched the bird from 6.30-8.00pm. The
bird stood out from the rest as being significantly smaller all around.
The bird was at least 10% smaller, had a 20% longer bill and 20%
shorter legs than the longest billed and shortest legged OZPO.
Curiously the legs were a brighter pink and the tail and wings were
shorter than the OZPOs the tail was approximately 1 cm longer than the
primaries on the folded wing. These features combined to impart a
dumpier jizz. We did the see the SIPO fly and it had an extensive white
back and a long broad white upperwing bar which joined the white back
and extended onto the inner primaries. The underwings were mostly white
and the under-secondaries and all the coverts were white and the
primaries were the only dark parts of the underwings. The SIPO was
chased once by an OZPO no other OZPOs were chased. Unfortunately I did
not have my camera with me. We with Ann Lindsay, Nick Leseburd and Alan
Stuart searched for the bird again this morning. We saw 11 OZPOs but no
SIPO but I may have a look again this evening. High tide is around 8pm
tonight. We also saw a Broad-billed Sandpiper there.
We will be making a submission to BARC.
Good luck if decide to look for it.
Phil.
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