Red-necked Stint. All photos Dave Newman By Dave Newman
WE’RE certainly spoilt for birds in Australia, including dozens of species of migratory waders. The life these birds lead is remarkable.
Take the Red-necked Stint for instance. These tiny birds, weighing no more than 30 grams, cover up to 30,000kms annually, an astonishing feat. They are currently preparing for their annual long haul flight, preening their feathers and feeding intensively to have enough fuel for the epic journey to summer breeding grounds in north-east Asia and Siberia.
Of course to do this, they need stop-overs on the way to feed and rest up, which is becoming increasingly difficult because of the loss of their coastal habitats (Australia included).
WE’RE certainly spoilt for birds in Australia, including dozens of species of migratory waders. The life these birds lead is remarkable.
Take the Red-necked Stint for instance. These tiny birds, weighing no more than 30 grams, cover up to 30,000kms annually, an astonishing feat. They are currently preparing for their annual long haul flight, preening their feathers and feeding intensively to have enough fuel for the epic journey to summer breeding grounds in north-east Asia and Siberia.
Of course to do this, they need stop-overs on the way to feed and rest up, which is becoming increasingly difficult because of the loss of their coastal habitats (Australia included).
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Waders can be difficult to identify at the best of times, but it's compounded by the fact that most of them on Australian shores are in non-breeding plumage, meaning they look even more alike! Another factor is that more often than not, you can only view them from a distance, sometimes in huge numbers, making it very difficult to pick out different species.
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World Migratory Bird Day held each May aims to raise awareness of the challenges facing migratory birds face and how crucial it is to work together to provide them with safe havens. |
Living near Western Port, you don't have to go far to find shorebirds. Stockyard Point (Jam Jerrup) and Reef Island (Bass) are two of the best places that I regularly visit. Only a few weeks ago, we observed 17 Terek Sandpipers (a migrant from Siberia), which is very likely the biggest number seen at any one time in Victoria.
Stockyard is also a reliable site to see things like Gull-billed Tern and the critically endangered (in Victoria) Eastern Curlew.
Stockyard Point is now quite well known throughout the birding community of Australia since producing a couple of "megas" in the last few years. The term "mega" in the birding world refers to birds that turn up in an area or country where they're not normally observed. Sometimes they are thousands of kilometres outside their normal range.
Stockyard Point is now quite well known throughout the birding community of Australia since producing a couple of "megas" in the last few years. The term "mega" in the birding world refers to birds that turn up in an area or country where they're not normally observed. Sometimes they are thousands of kilometres outside their normal range.
We had a very rare event at Stockyard a few years back, having two megas at the same place at the same time. This attracted birders from all around Australia to get a glimpse. One was the South- island Pied Oystercatcher (SIPO for short) a vagrant from New Zealand . The other was a Little Stint which breeds in Siberia and migrates to places like Africa and India. Obviously this one over shot by some distance!
Reef island had its moment of glory as well a few years back, producing a Hudsonian Godwit, a vagrant from America.
Not all these wayward vagrants are rare where they come from, only rare to see in Australia. There is the exception now and then though. A lone Nordmann's Greenshank has been turning up every summer at the Cairns esplanade for the last seven years or so. This bird has attracted hundreds of birders to Cairns (me included) over several years as their numbers are estimated at about 1000 remaining, meaning that this is a rare bird to see anywhere, let alone Australia.
Not all these wayward vagrants are rare where they come from, only rare to see in Australia. There is the exception now and then though. A lone Nordmann's Greenshank has been turning up every summer at the Cairns esplanade for the last seven years or so. This bird has attracted hundreds of birders to Cairns (me included) over several years as their numbers are estimated at about 1000 remaining, meaning that this is a rare bird to see anywhere, let alone Australia.
Nordmann's Greenshank. photo: Dave Newman
If you're interested in seeing waders around Gippsland, most arrive in spring and leave in autumn, so get down to the beach during summer and take your binoculars!