Red-capped Plover and Friends.

Red-capped Plover and Friends drop in during the May Wader Count

 Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus)

The Double-banded Plover has migrated from New Zealand to spend the Winter here in Australia.

 Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)

It was very interesting to have a flock of about 90 waders come and land almost at my feet and to be able to watch their behavior. When they first landed they all crouched low down, and seeing that I was not a threat went about their business. 

Red-capped Plover & Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

Inskip Point

All set to go kayaking. Good tide early morning, only one problem, the wind was blowing a gale. Plan B, go for a drive instead to Inskip Point to see what birds were around.

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)

Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)

 Not very often you get a clear photo showing different species nicely lined up, in this case four terns.

 Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) 

Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)

Great Knot

Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)

 A large flock of Pelicans and Godwits were on the little sand island out from the point.

Australian Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longiristris)

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday

Kayak Mullens

What a great day to be on the water, with a friend to share the time with. And the birds were pretty good too, at least 1800.

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)

Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus)

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

Wader Time Again.

I think this is the first time I have come across a Buff-banded Rail in a tree, every other time they have been on the ground heading for cover.

Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis)

Mangrove Honeyeater (Lichenostomus fasciogularis)

It was a very hot day, and the Mangrove Honeyeaters found some water under one of the picnic tables to drink and have a bath to cool down.

Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus)

 & Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)

 

 Lesser Sand Plover & Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)

Interesting to see the size difference between the different species.

 Lesser Sand Plover & Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

Lesser Sand Plover

Little Tern

Mixed Waders

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

Winter Wader Count

While undertaking our wader count some people on motorbikes decided to visit the roost site. You can see by the following photos the damage they caused. We feel that had we not been there at this time just how much more would have been done? 

 They had to ride past this sign to get to the roost site.

They must have seen us on the flats and thought they had better leave.

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)

At 14-16cm the Red-capped Plover is not easy to see from a distance. They live and breed on the flats.
 

Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis)

 

Came across a small feeding flock of these on the way up to the wader site.

Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

Birds and Bees

Wader Count time again. As this one was in the middle of the day with the weather very hot and humid, we were not looking forward to doing it this time round, and did not know what to expect bird wise. 

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)

 Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

Some starting to show colour

1294 birds of 10 species were recorded - Pied Oystercatcher,

Lesser & Greater Sand Plover, Red-capped Plover, Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Knot, Red-necked Stint, Curlew Sandpiper,Gull-billed Tern.

Part of the flock of small waders.

Samphire showing beautiful colour

Bees

Just as we were leaving the wader flats we found this swarm of bees.

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.