Posted on behalf of Rod Bloss.
regards
David Taylor
On 31/10/2008, at 9:56 AM, BRISBOCA wrote:
Hi everyone,
I recently spent 6 days at my sisters residence at Deepwater Point
Units, Labrador, which overlooks the Broadwater and Southport Bar
on the Gold Coast.
I was able to set up my telescope and watch a large number of
waders, seabirds and other waterbirds visiting the sandbank
opposite, which has now got mangroves and grassed areas over it
above the high tide mark. I observed a Beach Stone-Curlew, over a
hundred Little Terns, two pairs of Pied Oystercatchers with two
chicks each, amongst many other species which I will send to you in
the usual manner in due course.
The purpose of this email is to notify you that at 12.15pm on
Sunday, 26th October, 2008, I spotted three Eurasian Curlews in
amongst a dozen or so Eastern Curlews feeding on the open sand
flats of the island about 200 metres away. I was flabbergasted and
immediately thought of who I could contact immediately and nearest
to me to come and confirm the sighting.
It was the main Indy Race Day that day with F111's and Black Hawk
helicopters flying round and round over or close to the island and
it was making the birds jittery. I rang Judy Leitch at Runaway Bay
who immediately jumped in their car with her husband, Bruce, and
came straight over. I had the birds fixed in the scope as Judy
entered the Unit and she took my place. It wasn't long before,
with the help of our field guides, Judy confirmed the sighting.
Judy had brought her camera with her which hadn't got the range to
capture the birds and so she placed it over the eyepiece of the
scope lens and took a number of shots of them. They have not come
out perfect as everything that was white on the birds appeared
fawny coloured in the images, but they show where the identifying
features of the Eurasian Curlews are.
The birds were first differentiated from Whimbrels which have a
similar white "wedge" on their rumps and white in the tail
feathers. These birds were larger and had the predominant long
curved bill of Curlews. They also did not have the black striping
over the crown as the Whimbrels have. The pure white wedges on
their rumps were quite clearly displayed as the birds moved their
wings slightly and white outer tail feathers could be seen as they
moved around. Comparisons of bill size were attempted but was
difficult to guage but both Judy and I felt that the bills of the
Eurasians where ever so slightly shorter but retained the long
curve. This conclusion was made as one of the questioned birds
stood in front of an Eastern Curlew, in more or less the same
stance, where the Eastern's bill almost touched the sand and the
Eurasian's was just short of the sand.
The final piece of the jigsaw was observed by Judy who had the
scope at the time, when the birds took off heading north west
through towards the southern Moreton Bay islands. Judy is adamant
that she observed the clear white wedge and black and white barred
tail, as the birds turned three-quarter on to change direction. No
clear conclusion could be drawn regarding the size of the chevron
markings over the birds plumage.
I have observed Eurasian Curlews on many occasions in the meadows
in England before coming to Australia and am familiar with their
appearance and differences to Eastern Curlews.
A more formal record sheet will be submitted, along with a disc of
the images prepared by Judy Leitch, to BOCA, BA, GCCC, for their
findings.
Cheers,
Rod Bloss
PRES/SEC
BrisBOCA
Ph/Fax: (07) 3287 4411
Mob: 0422 194 664
David Taylor
Brisbane
David Taylor
Brisbane
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