Stockton Spit

After more great middle of the day sessions of workshops, we set off late this afternoon for the wetland and mangrove estuary along Stockton Spit - in particular the area immediately under the road bridge across the North Arm of the Hunter River.

Similar to Wednesday evening at Stockton Breakwater, there were thunder storms approaching from the south so we did not have much time out on the mudflats and wetlands but did manage to see a lot of wading birds that were cycling closer to the shore as the tide rose, covering the mudflats on which they had been feeding and roosting during low tide. Most conspicuous among the smaller birds (mostly Curlew Sandpipers) were the larger Bar-tailed Godwits (some of which were approaching breeding plumage with much redder head, neck and breast colouration) and Eastern Curlew.

Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Stockton Spit NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 800, f/13 1/250

Eastern Curlew + waders, Stockton Spit NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 800, f/22 1/160

Eastern Curlew + Bar-tailed Godwit, Stockton Spit NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 800, f/8 1/1000

With a group of 12 of us it was difficult to get close to the birds without spooking them so I opted to have a crack at stalking a small flock of raggedy-looking Caspian Terns that had settled along the muddy bank of a pool behind the main beach area.

Stalking Caspian Terns
Photograph courtesy of Joanne Smissen

As I got close enough for something half reasonable (after crawling through the sand, grass, saltmarsh and mud for about 25 metres) an approaching storm blocked out the sun so I bumped the ISO to 1600 but even with aperture wide-open (f/5.6 on my 300mm with 2x adaptor) the shutter speed (1/250-1/500) was only just fast enough to freeze the birds as they were constantly shuffling about (trying to get some shelter I expect).

Caspian Tern, Stockton Spit NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 1600, f/5.6 1/500

I got a little closer and managed another shot of a different arrangement of the same birds as it was getting even darker.

Caspian Tern, Stockton Spit NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 1600, f/5.6 1/250

Before I got close enough for some portraits of individual birds, the bank of low, dark storm clouds came across making it very dark. Fortunately I had the flash and Better Beamer mounted in anticipation of bad light so rather than bump the ISO even higher, I turned on the flash and made a somewhat feeble attempt at getting a few shots in light rain

Caspian Tern, Stockton Spit NSW
Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 1600, f/9 1/180 (Manual Flash 1/8 power)

before retreating for the car, safely parked under the bridge. The rain was going to be less of a problem (I always carry a poncho or garbage bag with me) than the lightning - it's not terribly sensible to be standing or sitting out in the open holding onto a three-legged lightning rod...

Cairns Foreshore...again

We spent most of today being tourists but managed to carve out the late afternoon for more birding along The Esplanade and found even more waders:

Great Knot, Cairns Esplanade, Qld

Curlew Sandpiper, Cairns Esplanade, Qld

Bar-tailed Godwit, Cairns Esplanade, Qld

Black-fronted Dotterel, Cairns Esplanade, Qld

including a few of last night's favourites

Eastern Curlew, Cairns Esplanade, Qld

Greater Sand Plover, Cairns Esplanade, Qld

Grey-tailed Tattler, Cairns Esplanade, Qld

Pied Imperial Pigeons were among the many birds looking for roosting sites in the palms along the Esplanade

Pied Imperial Pigeon, Cairns Esplanade,Qld

but the most interesting interaction was between these two:

Helmeted Friarbird + Varied Honeyeater, Cairns Esplanade,Qld

The two birds sat on this palm frond for a few minutes eyeing each other but did not otherwise seem to mind the presence of the other.

Lucinda beach and bush birds

Day 2 of the Digital Photography in the Bush weekend started with a trip to Lucinda. At the southern entrance to the Hinchinbrook Channel (see map) and famous for being the home of the longest jetty in Australia, Lucinda also has a long sand spit that is frequented at low tide by thousands of waders, gulls and terns.

Sand spit at Lucinda Qld

 
Several of the larger birds were close enough for a half reasonable photograph.

Eastern Curlew + Bar-tailed Godwit, Lucinda Qld

However, with a large group of us, we decided not to venture too close to the spit so not to disturb the birds.

We were entertained by several pairs of Red-capped Plovers nesting or with young chicks on the beach. This male was patrolling the shore

Red-capped Plover (male), Lucinda Qld

while its mate (note the female's lack of the rufous cap) sat on the "nest".

Red-capped Plover (female), Lucinda Qld

This species is one of several small dotterels and plovers that make a nest from a shallow scrape in the sand, occasionally lined with a few shell fragments or vegetation. It was impossible not to get close to this nest as it was half way between the dunes and the shore on a narrow part of the beach but we moved on quickly to reduce the disturbance to a minimum.

We had been told that there was a pair of Beach Stone-curlews hanging around behind the dunes and they were easy to find resting under trees, although not so easy to photograph.

Beach Stone-curlew, Lucinda Qld

Once we identifed that there were three of them (and therefore likely to be a young one with them), we left them alone and headed to the picnic ground in the park along Rigby Street where there allegedly were Varied Honeyeaters. We dipped on the honeyeaters but I did manage to photograph some other birds for the first time.

Australasian Figbird (female), Lucinda Qld

Australasian Figbird (male), Lucinda Qld

Helmeted Friarbird, Lucinda Qld

An ice-cream at the General store was served with advice as to what we could do with the "curlews" (i.e., Bush Stone-curlew) that kept the store keeper and his family awake all night. It was amazing to see these birds, rare and elusive in the south, wandering around the streets and gardens throughout the town but, apparently, they are not a popular with the locals as they are with tourists.

Bush Stone-curlew, Lucinda Qld

We found one pair with a nearly full-grown chick, sitting on the roadside, seemingly unbothered by the vehicular and pedestrian traffic only a few metres away, reliant on its cryptic camouflage.

Bush Stone-curlew, Lucinda Qld

As we got back to the car, we spotted a small bird of prey alighting in a tree a few hundred metres away. Closer examination identified it as an Australian Hobby and two of us decided to see if we could get closer for a photograph. A series of bushes and trees provided enough cover to allow us to get within about 50 metres but the view was obscured by the same vegetation we had used for cover.

Australian Hobby

Not a great shot but I was pleased to finally get a photograph of this species. Common enough around home, I had never managed to be in the right place at the right time with a camera in hand until today. The only way to get closer would encroach on where we had previously seen the Beach Stone-curlews so we decided it was enough for the morning and to head for our next destination, Dungeness, where yesterday's group had seen Striated Heron.

Bar-tailed Godwits back at Ocean Grove

The small flock of overwintering Bar-tailed Godwits that appeared at the Barwon River in Ocean Grove last year (see previous posts from 28 June, 24 March and 10 March 2011) is back.

This afternoon, I counted 45 individuals roosting on the sandspit at the mouth of the Barwon River.

Bar-tailed Godwit, Ocean Grove

Many were banded but I did not get close enough to photograph the bands clearly. There was another photographer approaching the birds and he managed to have them take flight on three occasions :-(

Bar-tailed Godwit, Ocean Grove

They returned twice...

Bar-tailed Godwit, Ocean Grove

...but on the third strike, they took off down the beach.

Godwits still at Ocean Grove!

It's been a while since I looked for them but there were still 10 Bar-tailed Godwits on the Barwon River mudflats in Ocean Grove at low tide this afternoon, two in breeding plumage.

Bar-tailed Godwit, Barwon River estuary, Ocean Grove

Godwits still at Barwon River Mouth

A dull and windy afternoon but needed a break from the desk so took a quick trip down to the mouth of the Barwon River to see if the godwits were still there and yes they were!

Bar-tailed Godwit, Barwon River Mouth, Ocean Grove

Several were developing breeding plumage and these all appeared to be males - smaller birds with shorter bills than females.

Western Treatment Plant - Birds not in flight

Along the way and after the Birds in Flight session, I also got a few others:

Probably the most common bird at the treatment plant but it's always good to find them like this

Welcome Swallow, Western Treatment Plant

Common in most Victorian wetlands but unusually rare at the treatment plant, we found this Dusky Moorhen at the T-Section lagoon 4.

Dusky Moorhen, Western Treatment Plant

Godwits are starting to develop breeding plumage

Bar-tailed Godwit, Western Treatment Plant

By mid afternoon, the wind had dropped to almost nothing creating mirror surface on many ponds giving some great reflections

Little Egret, Western Treatment Plant

I found five species of terns today but the highlight was this lone Little Tern resting on a log

Little Tern, Western Treatment Plant

and one of my perennial favourites, this one giving itself a pedicure

Golden-headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant

Godwits at Barwon River Mouth

Driving across the bridge from Barwon Heads to Ocean Grove early this evening and noticed large flocks of shore birds roosting on the spit at the mouth of the Barwon River (View Map) so I pulled over for a closer look.

There were hundreds of Red-necked Stint sheltering from the wind among the seaweed and along with them several Double-banded Plover and Red-capped Plover. Further along the beach was a large flock of Silver Gull with a few Crested Tern and Pacific Gull along with 200+ Bar-tailed Godwits, some developing breeding plumage. Most were resting with heads turned away from the wind so I was able to crawl up relatively close without disturbing them.

Bar-tailed Godwit, mouth of the Barwon River