Following advice from Paul Dodd, (many thanks Paul), yesterday, Andrew
Silcocks, Alison Kuiter, Dawn Neylan, David Stabb, Tim Faulkner, his wife and I
saw the American Golden Plover on the shore at Point Cook. As reported on
Birding-Aus, access to the Plover high tide roost in Cheetham Wetlands is now
off limits. Currently, the bird may be seen 4-5 hours after high tide feeding
with a flock of 17 Pacific Golden Plovers among the rocks on the beach
immediately south of the Pt. Cook Historic Homestead. This is just a short walk
from the Homestead which is open to the public Wednesdays to Sundays. So
yesterday being a Tuesday it wasn't open. We assumed that the track to the
beach would still be open but we were turned back. So we parked our cars at the
gate which leads to the tower and accessed the beach from there, then walked
along the beach westward past the derelict jetty (see Melway Map 199). The
first Red-necked Stints started to arrive on the beach at around 4 hours after
high tide with the Plovers arriving at the far western limit of the rocks (zone
H3 Melway map 199) about 4.5 hours after high tide. Perhaps partially because
of our attention, the flock gradually moved eastwards. When we left them they
were in the rocks in zone J3.
The black belly patch of breeding plumage is developing but the upperparts are
still very pale and grey with no golden spangling as yet.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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