Watching for Shorebirds' Return, Phillip Island

We have had a cold and pretty wet winter in southern Victoria and it certainly doesn't feel like Spring yet. However I did manage to enjoy a beach walk to see Phillip Island's Rhyll Inlet at the weekend. This was in the late afternoon light during an hour or two of sunny and still conditions. I made my way to Observation Point and made these .... well .... observations!

In the breeding season, a pair of Pied oystercatchers generally hang around east of Silverleaves. I tried hard to get some  background in this shot. It shows French Island on the other side of a very calm Westernport Bay. The hills behind Grantville form the distant horizon.

Clicking for the enlarged view reveals Pied oystercatcher Red Flag 5E

Two endangered Hooded plover have paired off once again at the eastern end of Silverleaves beach. Meet current local "Orange Flag PW above Silver band"

Among the fascinations for me is the anticipation of what shorebirds will be present at the sandy spit that is Observation Point. Here are a few Curlew sandpiper among the Red-necked stint. In the foreground is an out of focus Red-capped plover 

Red-necked stint

A Double-banded plover in full bleeding plumage always stands out in the crowd! "Shouldn't you be in New Zealand?"

I am always on the lookout for Godwits, Whimbrel and Eastern curlew. Three Eastern curlew arrived while I was watching but I saw no Godwits which I found unusual. There was more than the usual number of ducks and I had some difficulty sorting the species as they kept their distance. I was impressed with the number of Australian shoveler, a species I generally don't see a lot of.

Eastern curlew, the hills between San Remo and Anderson in the background.

Several Australasian shoveler amongst the Grey and Chestnut teal. It might be worth a click for the enlarged view as the male shovelers have an amazing colour scheme. 

Great cormorant are generally outnumbered by Pied cormorant at Observation Point

This Australian pelican flew low across the surface of the water for at least 100m! I love watching that. It seems to be heading towards San Remo where the pelicans get fed each morning

My happy shadow - Observation Point at high tide (iPhone panorama). Westernport Bay to the left, Rhyll Inlet to the right

The return trek - I'm about to get wet and painfully cold feet!!
All worth it!

Bird on!

Pelican pouch yoga, Phillip Island

A few interesting observations were made on a gloomy morning at Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island recently. First was the overall impression of a whole heap of pretty happy birds all feeding. We (Richard and I) did enjoy spotting a single Pink-eared duck amongst a mass of Eurasian coot.

Methinks not unlike a Freo supporter amongst the Collingwood coots!

Eurasian coot, Fishers Wetland, 29 December 2012

You know how the bird standing on one leg always brings out the other one just when you conclude it is lame? This one never seemed to and the leg on view seemed huge! 

Cape Barren Goose drinking the brackish Fishers Wetland water

Now on to some pelican behaviour ...

I've not seen this before!

 A little "quality" Internet research brought me to this National Geographic article by David A O'Connor which states:

Pelicans perform strange-looking exercises to stretch and maintain their pouch in a brand of pelican yoga. They will gape, holding their mouths wide open. In another pose, they point the bill straight up to the sky, stretching the pouch. Or most evocatively, a bird will turn its pouch completely inside out by forcing it over its breast.

Teal, dotterels and stilts all happily feeding at Fishers

I've not seen this many Red-kneed dotterel at Phillip Island before

An Australasian shoveler amongst the teal

I leave you with some of the comings and goings. In flight we see Australian pelican, Swamp harrier, Australian shelduck and Cape Barren geese.

Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island, 29 December 2012

Bird on!