Many but by no means all waders/shorebirds stay in their normal winter
quarters during their first year. Just off the top of my head I can think of
eight species that don't. I've never heard of a mid-winter record of
Swinhoe's, Pin-tailed or Latham's Snipe for instance. As we all know,
Sharp-tailed Sandpipers are normally absent in winter apart from injured or
sick individuals. Pectoral Sandpipers normally leave much later than
Sharpies but do not normally overwinter although the population is small.
Danny Rogers once told me that he could not find a single Australian winter
record of Common Sandpiper. I have never seen a Marsh Sandpiper and only
once a Wood Sandpiper in winter.
What do these eight species have in common? They have a preference for, or
will readily use, fresh water habitats. The latter criterion also applies to
Red-necked Stints which normally overwinter but there is an interesting
association of species in that category.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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