Congo (NSW) - shorebirds, needletails

I spent Saturday at Congo on the NSW
South Coast, between Moruya and Tuross Head, which is under 2 hours drive
from Canberra. The signs of a savage recent storm were evident since my
last visit by the enormous amounts of washed up seaweed and the missing
section of beach near the point, which was now exposed rock.

Despite being worried about the less
exposed sand I was surprised to find an amazing array of shorebirds foraging
among the seaweed and rocks, most were difficult to see until flushed.
Below is a list of the day's bonanza
of shorebirds:

- Sanderling 6-8 (difficult to
count, possibly 2 separate groups)
- Red-necked Stint 5 (obvious
size and colour difference when feeding with Sanderling)
- Pacific Golden Plover 2 (non-breeding
plumage, feeding in seaweed on shore)
- Grey Plover 1 ('lifer', among
seaweed, identified by size, short stout bill and when flying away obvious
white rump and strong white wingbar, as opposed to the PGPlovers nearby)
- Bar-tailed Godwit 11
- Ruddy Turnstone 2 (non-breeding
plumage, feeding among thick seaweed on shore)
- Red-capped Plover 18+ (including
8+ juveniles, the 2 fledglings I saw 2 weeks previous had now lost all
their downy feathers)
- Red Knot 4 (i am 90% sure of
my id here, grey upper, duller below, as they were resting late in the
afternoon (I didnt see them arrive) alongside the Godwits which were almost
twice as big, they didnt seem to have the long bills of Grey-tailed Tattlers
the other possibility)
- Pied Oystercatcher 2 (resident
pair)
- Sooty Oystercatcher 2 (resident
pair)

What is amazing about this place is
the proximity of the shorebirds. Where we lie on the sand we are only some
10 metres from feeding Sanderling and Stint and over-protective Red-capped
Plover parents who keep chasing away any Stint or Sanderling which comes
to close to their young. And the swiming spot in the sea is just metres
from resting Godwits and Oystercatchers, giving great views.

Other birds included a Jacky Winter
along Congo Rd and a pair of White-throated Needletails which spent
the greater part of the afternoon soaring above the point. There was also
a Blue-tongued Skink in the campsite.

Cheers

Marnix Zwankhuizen
NGUNNAWAL  ACT


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