Yesterday (3rd April 2004), I spent a couple of hours in the early morning
birding at Boat Harbour and Woolooware near Cronulla (about 20 or so km's
south of Sydney CBD).
At Boat Harbour the Wandering Tattler was still there and is slowly coming
into breeding plumage showing a few large bars on the thighs and sides of
breast. This Tattler appears to be more approachable than in the past and it
did not feel that bothered when it was as close as 5 metres from where I was
standing (it showed no signs of being wary and it just gave a big yawn in
front of me exposing its pinkish mouth lining and then just kept on
feeding. It probably thought "ah just another birdo looking at me!". We'll
this bird is probably more use to people by now after several months,
especially Boat Harbour being such a busy place on the weekends). I could
have stood there and counted all the scales on its legs but I thought I just
leave it in peace.
Other shorebirds seen included 7 Pacific Golden Plovers (one in almost full
breeding plumage with black on face, breast, belly and vent, white sides to
breast and beautiful gold and black speckles on upper parts), 2 Lesser Sand
Plover (with chestnut on breast), 18 Double-banded Plover, 64 Red-necked
Stint, a single Curlew Sandpiper (in non-breeding plumage), 13 Ruddy
Turnstone (at least 2 in immaculate full breeding plumage) and 15 Sooty
Oystercatchers (always a pleasure to see). There were also 4 Kelp Gulls (a
juv. and 3 Imm. birds) with the Silver Gulls and Crested Terns.
There was a Swamp Mahogany, Callistemons and a few Banksias in blossom near
Boat Harbour attracting New Holland and Brown Honeyeaters and Little
Wattlebirds.
A brief stop for a few minutes at Woolooware Swamp near Cronulla produced a
hunting Mangrove Heron, a female Musk Duck, 2 Pied Cormorants, 2 Pied
Oystercatchers and Brown Honeyeaters.
Edwin Vella
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