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!

Curlew sandpiper - Phillip Island to Siberia

I'm still thinking about migratory birds this week.  Seeing these Curlew Sandpiper at Phillip Island's Observation Point late last month prompted to compare how they looked earlier in the southern hemisphere summer.

Curlew sandpiper among Red-necked stint, Observation Point, Phillip Island (November 2013)

Look at me now! All fat and coloured ready for the trip North! Curlew sandpiper, Observation Point, Phillip Island (March 2014)

Although we southerners are sending them off, any Northern hemisphere readers of this blog may feel that they are awaiting the return of birds home! ('Not that likely I guess considering readership numbers & the fact that I gather that these birds end up in the Siberian tundra!)

Another early summer view of  Curlew sandpiper (at right) in December (2012 actually), Western Treatment Plant, Werribee

Birdlife Australia are promoting awareness of the movements of migratory shorebirds currently:

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

On the move! Birds of Phillip Island

It's one of those times of year when movement of migratory birds is imminent. Some of our non-breeding visitors are starting to get colour such as some of these Bar-tailed Godwits below. Numbers of Double-banded plover are increasing as they arrive from New Zealand and I have seen my first sightings of Cattle egret for the year.

Bar-tailed godwits, Observation Point, Phillip Island, 22 March 2014. We can play Spot-the-whimbrel!

Landing gear down! More godwits on the move.

Three of the small group of five whimbrel seen at the weekend.

Caspian terns and Pied oysterctachers

"Godwits at front, Pied oystercatchers at the back please and … Smile!"

Now what do we have here - brown, big and fat among the stints & Double-banded plover?

Why it's one of three Curlew sandpiper getting a little breeding colour

Curlew sandpiper, Observation Point, Phillip Island

Arrived at high tide to a different shaped spit than what I was used to - many Black Swan awaited

iPhone view of the main spit attracting the swans, godwits, oystercatchers and terns

Stints, Double-banded plover and the three Curlew sandpiper found a home on a second "mini spit"  (above and below)

I'm not a cat person - greeted by a neighbour's cat on the loose on return from my walk.

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday!

Bird on!

Red-necked stints harbouring sandpipers

These amazing small migratory waders are climbing very quickly up my favourite species list! I had cause to find out more about Red-necked stint Calidris ruficollis after spending some time with a group at Observation Point, Phillip Island last weekend.

"You know what Reg? I'm beginning to think that he can still see us even when we do hide our heads under our wings!"

Red-necked stint Calidris ruficollis "winter plumage"

It titillates me to think that these little guys endure the extremes of Siberia and Alaska (albeit in the northern summer) only to form sheltering rafts behind driftwood on a balmy Spring morning in Victoria, Australia. OK so it was only about 11'C but the sun was shining and there was only a zephyr of a breeze!

Red-necked stint. There was a group behind every bit of driftwood. Caspian tern and Pied oystercatcher can be seen in the distance.

While I was photographing this group one bird stuck its head up for a better view…

A stint on steroids? or Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea

Looking at my photos later on I noticed a second sandpiper to the right of the first bird noticed.

Lots more information about these little travellers at:

• Birds in Backyards
• Wikipedia which includes a map showing breeding and migratory range:

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Boxing Day Test at the WTP

Cricket was not on the agenda when a Boxing Day test match of the birding kind took place yesterday. The participants were Richard of RW's Birds of Australia fame and myself.

The venue? Not the MCG but the WTP - that is to say Melbourne's Western Treatment Plant (AKA the Werribee Poo ponds). In the birding equivalent of a marathon pub crawl we also took in the You Yangs and Serendip Sanctuary.

Curiously there was no hint of competition:) I had no idea Rich was on 273 for the year and I on 263!

I haven't had a great number of birding expeditions with other birders so it was a pleasure to share the day with another of similar interests and experience (sorry Rich) . Each bringing specific knowledge to the table resulted in more efficient birding and more sightings. There was still head-scratching with shared black holes (sandpipers, terns) but things still got sorted more efficiently (allocated to "unidentified sandpiper" category much more quickly).

I thoroughly enjoyed this gorgeous day at Werribee (only my second trip). The visit showcased the WTP's amazing capacity for showing grand scale as well as intimate detail. Many birds were there in large flocks but could also been seen at close range if lucky.

My combatant .... birding buddy taking in Lake Borrie (You Yangs on horizon)

One of several flocks of Red-necked avocet 

Swirling flocks of Pink-eared duck made their way directly overhead 

More flocks - Australian shelduck (above) and a closer view of the avocet below

Small ponds like this one enabled much closer viewing

Red-necked avocet

Whiskered tern

With large groups of birds comes the opportunity to observe behaviour. Here are two pairs of sharp-tailed sandpiper which were noticed to be "interacting"....

Finally a pair of cooperative birds provided the opportunity for direct comparison. When seen like this it beggars belief that one had been viewing the birds for ages before realising there were different species (Sharp-tailed sandpiper and Curlew sandpiper - lifer!)

 Two birds that I don't see close-up very often are Red-kneed dotterel and Australian spotted crake....

 The car was then parked near the bird hide which provided more good viewing.

Sharp-tailed sandpiper

Common greenshank and Red-necked stint

Spotted harrier - Lifer (quickly identified with the assistance of my associate raptor expert)!

A Superb fairy-wren Christmas spread - surrounded by the feast!

Australian pelican jetting in from Avalon airport

Distant view of Horsfield's bronze cuckoo in this un-edited photo. I do like the fence post, grasses and the slight "vignette" effect caused by the car's side mirror just encroaching on the shot at bottom left!

Welcome swallow ('though it was hanging around with tree martins) 

Finally we had good views of Great crested grebe and Eurasian skylark.

Bird on!