Lesser Sand Plover

The Lesser Sand Plover are getting ready to leave our shores for their northern migration and are showing lots of beautiful colour. So when we next count this site the numbers of birds and species should be well down. Overall count for this day was 15 species 1650 birds.

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Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus) Little tern (Sterna albifrons)

Lesser Sand Plover & Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)

Lesser Sand Plover, Little Tern & Grey-tailed Tattler (Heteroscelus brevipes)

Decided not to kayak this time due to strong winds. With plenty of runoff from the creeks because of the heavy rain we have had the water was coloured tannin instead of clear as it normally is. Usually there is at least a metre of sand on the walk up to the wader site, but with the weather the way it was strong winds were pushing the waves up to the edge.

The Samphire looks a lot healthier now that we have had lots of rain.

TCB Bird Walk

Continuing our walk along the Tin Can Bay Foreshore we came across Rainbow Bee-eaters, Pied Oystercatchers, Silver Gulls, Bar-tailed Godwits and Blue-faced Honeyeaters just to name a few.

Did not know it at the time but there was an Immature Pied Oystercatcher among those we photographed. It is the one in the middle, with pale legs, dark tip to the bill, and no red around the eye, so it was good to see some young made it this far.

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Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) (Near Adult form)

Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) (Immature)

When the tide is in along the bird walk.

Pied Oystercatcher

Pied Oystercatchers were busy feeding on Main Beach Stradbroke Island during our recent visit.

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Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)

Pied Oystercatcher looking for pipis

Found one

Let's just get out of the water first

Found another one, now to get it out.

Still trying

Just a bit more

Got it.

Here is a link to more information on the Pipi
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/research/areas/systems-research/wild-fisheries/outputs/2008/972/status_short/Pipi.pdf