Yellow Wagtail at Ash Island

[Jack Shapiro <>]

Yesterday, 30/3/05, Adrian O’Neill & I visited the Newcastle area.

First, we looked around at Ash Island, where a large flock of White Ibis (over 200) and many Straw-necked Ibis were feeding along side the road.

Along Wagtail Way we saw and had good views of a magnificent Yellow Wagtail in full breeding plumage.  It preferred to stay at a distance of about 20-30 meters from us, feeding around the pebbled road along with Welcome Swallows, Australian Pipits and White-fronted Chats. From the roadside we also saw some Avocets and Black-winged Stilts, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers & Greenshanks. A Nankeen Kestrel flew overhead.

At Stockton Bridge/Fern Bay, which we reached at high tide, we saw a flock of several thousand Avocets, Red Knots, a small flock of Eastern Curlews, and another mixed flock of Black-tailed Godwits/ Bar-tailed Godwits,  Pied Oystercatchers, Wimbrels, and some Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.  Newcomers, which later joined the Godwits were mostly in rufous-red rich breeding plumage

At the banks of the Hunter River next to the Stockton Bridge we saw many Superb Fairy-wrens, juveniles, females or males in eclipsed plumage.

In all it was good birding for a rainy day.

Adrian O’Neill
Jack Shapiro