G'day,
I thought I might unscramble my posts about the Haematopus at Manly
yesterday.
I wandered about the Manly wader roost yesterday afternoon taking
plenty of photos [about 750 all up] through the heat haze. Many were
adversely affected by the haze and I was throwing most of them out
when I reviewed them on the computer [I've still got 300 to get
through].
As I was slowly working my way along the harbour side of the roost, I
was seeing how close I could get to the waders before they flushed
across the 30 metre stretch of water to the island. I had the camera
set on 1/500 sec and was photographing the birds, both on the ground
and as they took to the air [there are diagnostic features that you
can't see when birds are loafing].
There were a couple of Pied Oystercatchers lurking around some large
patches of samphire with Godwits, Tattlers, Tereks, Stints, Tattlers
and Sharpies. This was unusual as the [~100] Oycs normally roost on
the island.
As I approached the POs they showed signs of restlessness and I took 5
pictures in 7 seconds.
The first picture was an PO standing on the far side of a patch of
samphire with its wings raised - the underwing is almost entirely
white, it's lower back and rump are mostly white and it has a long
broad wingbar.
The second picture, one second later and much sharper, is an immature
PO [with an orange bill] standing on the near side of a patch of
samphire, also with its wings raised. Its underwing also shows plenty
of white [relative to an adult OZPO], but there is also extensive
black. The wingbar is shorter and is partly black at the body end.
The third picture, at the four second mark, shows an adult PO [with a
red bill] flying away. It has a long wingbar [running half the length
of its wing]. Its back, rump and a lot of its tail were white - it
didn't have a sharply cut-off rump that is typical in OZPOs.
The fourth and fifth pictures, taken at the fifth and 7th second marks
are both of the adult PO in flight. The fourth is out of focus, while
the fifth is OK. The fifth provides a good view directly up the back
of the bird. It shows the black on the tail as a triangle pointing up
the back of the bird.
When I got home and reviewed the photos several hours later, I thought
I was looking at one bird. Thanks to the comments from David James,
and a birdforum correspondent, I discovered I had been looking at two
birds. One of them appears to be very interesting.
You can see 4 of the pictures at http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=190903
and make up your own mind ...
Regards, Laurie.
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