Hi All,
There's been just three emails to birding-aus to date about the
White-rumped Sandpiper found by Nigel and Carla Jackett at Shoalhaven
Heads, NSW on Monday here on birding-aus so here's a quick summary if
you are interested in following it up.
It was found at a high tide roost best accessed from Shoalhaven Heads on
the Monday. It's an impressive find - the first twitchable one in
Australia for at least 20 years. Remarkably, before the dust had even
settled (and before anyone had twitched it??), what is presumably the
same bird was refound 9.5 km south (as the sandpiper flies) on the
shoreline of Wollumboula Lake early the next morning. The bird was well
twitched on Tuesday (but disappeared at times), was not seen on
Wednesday as far as I know despite a few people looking, was seen again
and well twitched by many on Thursday, Friday and today. At times it
dissapears to places unknown but for the main part is happily feeding on
the shoreline of the lake directly behind the ocean beach or roosting
with stints and other shorebirds in and around the fenced off Little
Tern colony.
To access the site drive to the township of Culburra Beach (via Nowra).
The main road into town is called the 'The Lake Circuit'. About halfway
through town, to stay on this named road, you need to turn right (sounds
odd but on checking a map it will make sense). Drive to the end of the
'The Lake Circuit' rd and there is a small carpark, picnic area and
playground. Take the steps down to the lake (not the path that leads
more directly to the beach), then walk south along the edge of the lake
at the back of the beach. From the carpark it's about 450 m to the point
were the bird has mostly been feeding - pretty much in line with the
fenced off Little Tern colony.
It has been remarkably settled, but like any shorebird doesn't like
people walking at it. In contrast birders that have sat quietly and
patiently and let the bird come to them have been rewarded with
approaches down to 2-3 m. There is something very satisfying about
watching a mega shorebird slowly foraging to within a couple of meters
of you, pulling tiny marine worms from the sand as it goes, and for it
then to wander off again seemingly completely unfazed by the interaction!
The spit is an impressive birding site even without the White-rumped
Sandpiper.
Good numbers of Little Terns (be mindful that they are breeding but the
fencing, signage etc should make that clear) , a handful of Fairy
Terns, White-winged Black Tern, Red and Great Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit,
Lesser Sand Plover and plenty of Red-necked Stint and Sharp-tailed
Sandpipers are just some of the other birds that people are connecting
with.
A few of my pics are here.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/white_rumped_sandpiper
Cheers,
Rohan
--
Rohan Clarke
www.wildlifeimages.com.au
Latest updates
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/root&view=recent
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