Common Sandpiper on Barwon River

HI All, 

I had,  what had to be my strangest
and most unexpected tick on Saturday.  

I was walking along the Barwon River
(End of Sheepwash Rd, Barwon Heads, Victoria) on route to search for Orange
Bellied Parrots  in the saltmarsh along the riverside.  I stepped
down onto a sandy part of the river bank and walked a couple of metres
along it, only to have a Common Sandpiper land 5 meters in front of me.
 I frooze so it didn't fly off, and scoped it for a good 5 minutes
getting excellent detail, but it was easily identifiable the instant it
landed by the bobbing motion it made. 

Its the first time i've seen a Common
Sandpiper and it was a very unexpected tick for me being the first day
of May. Is it normal for Common Sandpipers to be around this late in the
year?


There were also a pair of Flame Robins
at Marcus HIll on the Bellerine Peninsula, and another pair at Lake Connewarre.

Peter