Early morning waders at Kirk Point and a day at the WTP

I was due to meet the Melbourne Birdlife Photography group for the monthly outing (this month at the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee). The night before, I checked the sunrise and tide times and weather predictions and all looked perfect for an early morning shoot at Kirk Point (just outside the treatment plant).

Check my YouTube channel for a video of today's shoot.

The rocks at Kirk Point are overnight roosting sites for many species of birds, including several species of migratory wading birds. As the tide rises, the rocks further from shore get inundated and the birds come closer and closer to shore. If you get there early enough (in this case I was there 30 minutes before sunrise) the birds will encroach much closer than you could approach them.

I was not disappointed. Hundreds of Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, along with gulls, terns and cormorants, settled on the rocks just metres in front of my chosen perch on a rock on the beach and caught the orange glow of first light.

Red-necked Stint, Kirk Point, Point Wilson, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 100mm, ISO 800, 1/1250 @ f/6.3

The small migratory waders are due to take off on their long migration back to the arctic in the next few weeks so my attention was drawn to them.

Red-necked Stint, Kirk Point, Point Wilson, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/1000 @ f/6.3

Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, Kirk Point, Point Wilson, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 400mm, ISO 800, 1/1000 @ f/6.3

Red-necked Stint, Kirk Point, Point Wilson, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 280mm, ISO 400, 1/1000 @ f/6.3 

Several of the Curlew Sandpiper had started develop breeding plumage indicating an imminent departure north.

Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, Kirk Point, Point Wilson, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 318mm, ISO 400, 1/1000 @ f/6.3

As the tide continued to rise, only cormorants (Pied Cormorant and Little Black Cormorant) remained on the outer rocks (and one gull lurking in the background)

Pied Cormorant and Little Black Cormorant, Kirk Point, Point Wilson, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 280mm, ISO 400, 1/800 @ f/6.3

while the waders took flight for alternative feeding and roosting locations.

Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, Kirk Point, Point Wilson, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 280mm, ISO 400, 1/1250 @ f/6.3

The rest of the day was spent at the treatment plant in great company. It's always a thrill to take first time visitors to this spectacular birding location.

Lake Borrie, Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 124mm, ISO 200, 1/500 @ f/6.3

I have never seen so many Pink-eared Duck at this location but they are always difficult to photograph on the wide-open waterways of the treatment plant. I did manage to 'sneak up' a little and shoot through the reeds.

Pink-eared Duck, Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 280mm, ISO 400, 1/1250 @ f/6.3

Hundreds of Welcome Swallow and Fairy Martin were hunting insects around the bird hide and I managed to get a few good shots of the martins - normally a challenge as they are rarely still for more than a few seconds.

Fairy Martin, Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 400mm, ISO 400, 1/640 @ f/6.3

However, the main highlight of the day came late in the afternoon with this capture of a juvenile Lewin's Rail - my first photograph of this elusive species and first sighting in Victoria - two ticks with one bird :-)

Lewin's Rail (juvenile), Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
Panasonic Lumix G9 with Panasonic Leica 100-400mm lens @ 400mm, ISO 400, 1/640 @ f/6.3

Happy days :-)

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...

Broad-billed Sandpiper @ WTP

Following recent reports of a Broad-billed Sandpiper at the Western Treatment Plant, I went to have a look for myself. Several reports gave fairly specific location details but I was concerned that this could be a needle in a haystack search with so many other small wading birds at the same location. However, with a little homework (a brief perusal of various guidebooks this morning to familiarise myself with the characteristic features) it turned out to be surprisingly easy to find the one individual among the Curlew Sandpipers, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints at Western Lagoon 4. Even better, it was close-by the best viewing area and all the birds were tolerant of three of us standing and watching, allowing for some decent records shots for this lifer for me.

Broad-billed Sandpiper, Western Treatment Plant

While watching and photographing the birds, I commented to one of the other observers that all I wanted now was for a Curlew Sandpiper to come close enough to get the two birds in the same shot for a side-by-side size comparison. No sooner said...

Broad-billed Sandpiper (L) and Curlew Sandpiper (R), Western Treatment Plant

On the way out, I dropped past Ryan's Swamp to find a large flock of Nankeen Night-Herons (approx. 50 birds roosting in various trees at the north-west end of the swamp).

Nankeen Night-Heron, Western Treatment Plant

On departing the plant, I had just finished locking the gate when a Rufous Songlark landed on a fence and started singing. It was getting quite dark with some threatening clouds overhead but I managed a few shots (albeit with slow shutter speeds and wide open aperture)

Rufous Songlark, Western Treatment Plant

Driving home past Lake Connewarre, I spotted a pair of Brolgas with a half-grown chick in long grass about a hundred metres from the road. I pulled over and leapt from the car with camera in hand in time for one shot of them.

Brolga, Lake Connewarre

One of the adults separated from the others and continued to stay in view for another few minutes.

Brolga, Lake Connewarre

Another quick visit to the WTP

I took a brief diversion to the Western Lagoons at the Western Treatment Plant on the way home from Melbourne this afternoon. Despite it being mid afternoon, there was a fair amount of avian activity with hundreds of Red-necked Stints and Curlew Sandpipers resting on the mudflats and feeding in the shallows.

Curlew Sandpiper, Western Treatment Plant

Several pairs of White-fronted Chats were feeding on the dried mudflats at the edge of the ponds.

White-fronted Chat, Western Treatment Plant

...and, I was lucky enough to capture this Golden-headed Cisticola singing in the nearby vegetation.

Golden-headed Cisticola, Western Treatment Plant

As I was leaving, I flushed a Buff-banded Rail in the ditch just next to Gate 2. I parked the car past the gate and came back and waited to see if it would reappear...

Buff-banded Rail, Western Treatment Plant

Crake hunt at the WTP

There have been many reports of crakes and rails at the Western Treatment Plant in recent weeks (mostly while I was overseas). Today was my first opportunity to get there and see for myself. I arrived early at the bird hide (where most of the previous success had been) and watched and waited. Heard lots of crakish sounds (mostly Australian Spotted but one Spotless calling as I arrived) but only teasing glances as several Australian Spotted Crakes and Buff-banded Rails ran across the road or from one bush to another but did not stay still long enough for even a record shot. All was not lost though as there was lots of activity among the small saltmarsh birds:

White-browed Scrubwren, Bird Hide, Western Treatment Plant

Silvereye,  Bird Hide, Western Treatment Plant

Superb Fairy-wren, Bird Hide, Western Treatment Plant

Little Grassbird, Bird Hide, Western Treatment Plant

and some opportunities to practice my birds in flight:

Australian Pelican, Western Treatment Plant

Australian White Ibis, Western Treatment Plant

A very pleasant two hours but time to go and look for some wading birds. There have been reports of early arrivals of migratory waders at the new Western Lagoon so I headed back there via Paradise Road where there was a large flock of Red-necked Avocets feeding in the ponds just near Gate 8 and a few were quite close to the road. Unfortunately the sun was behind them and because they were so close I was shooting hand-held out of the car window through reeds but a reasonable record shot.

Red-necked Avocet, Western Treatment Plant

At Western Lagoon 4, I found many Red-necked Stints and Curlew Sandpipers, mostly too far away for any good photographs but this individual did cooperate for a few minutes.

Curlew Sandpiper, Western Lagoons, Western Treatment Plant