Dear All
Interesting how a place can change in a week. We were beaten to the paddock
at Melaleuca Swale by a group of farmers having a workshop about catchment
management. So much for any sighting of Snipe. The pond on the eastern
side of the road was dried and inhospitable. The other pond had a few
Pacific Black Ducks, Hardheads, Chestnut Teal and Swans with cygnets.
Millhams pond had around 100 Avocets and Swan Pond was virtually empty
except for a dozen black-winged stilts, herons and egret. Saw some good
raptors though: Swamp Harrier, juvenile WB Sea Eagle being harassed by a
smaller raptor, Whistling Kite and Brown Falcon.
The highlight of the day was at Stockton Sandspit where we ran into a
couple of birders from HBOC checking on flagged waders. There were
hundreds of Eastern Curlew and Avocets in one lagoon and on the spit
hundreds of Bar-tail Godwit, Avocets and Red Knots with Red-neck Stint,
Red-capped Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Whimbrel and one Black-tailed Godwit,
Silver Gulls and Gull-billed Terns and a pair of Pied Oystercatchers. As
we started to walk back to the car a pair of Red-capped Plovers put on the
injured bird act and we found a nest of shell rubble with two beautiful
eggs not far away.
Thanks to Mick and Alan for your advice and to Alan Morris who put me
straight about the tide times to visit Stockton Sandspit. It was a great
day!
Chris Melrose
--
*Christine Melrose
ph: +61 2 9438 3635
Mobile +61 407 705 140*
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