Spotted on Reef Island, the Eastern Yellow Wagtail is a long way from home. Photos: Dave Newman
By Dave Newman
RECENTLY birder Abby Hayes spotted a bird on Reef Island that she was unable to identify. It turns out it was an Eastern Yellow Wagtail, a very rare bird for Victoria.
Eastern Yellow Wagtails are a species that breed from Europe to Siberia, as well as Alaska. They are quite small being around 17cm long. They migrate through Asia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and a few individuals end up in northern parts of Australia and are reasonably regular to places like Broome and Darwin.
RECENTLY birder Abby Hayes spotted a bird on Reef Island that she was unable to identify. It turns out it was an Eastern Yellow Wagtail, a very rare bird for Victoria.
Eastern Yellow Wagtails are a species that breed from Europe to Siberia, as well as Alaska. They are quite small being around 17cm long. They migrate through Asia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and a few individuals end up in northern parts of Australia and are reasonably regular to places like Broome and Darwin.
It's rare they make it down this far south. It's even rarer for one to turn up in breeding colours. (In non-breeding plumage, the yellow is basically absent.) Even though most serious twitchers would already have this species on their lists, a bird like this still creates interest amongst the birding fraternity, particularly in Victoria.
After a friend told us about this bird’s presence, we made a quick dash down to Bass to try and get a photo. We located the bird but it kept it's distance and the intense heat haze made for difficult photography! I did manage a couple of record shots though.
Access to Reef Island can be a little tricky and should only be attempted at low tide as you have to traverse a stony bit of ground that will submerge at high tide. Care should also be taken not to flush wading birds that are often around the shoreline of the island.
Make certain you carefully check tide times before attempting to get out there.
Another "mega" bird for the Western Port region!
After a friend told us about this bird’s presence, we made a quick dash down to Bass to try and get a photo. We located the bird but it kept it's distance and the intense heat haze made for difficult photography! I did manage a couple of record shots though.
Access to Reef Island can be a little tricky and should only be attempted at low tide as you have to traverse a stony bit of ground that will submerge at high tide. Care should also be taken not to flush wading birds that are often around the shoreline of the island.
Make certain you carefully check tide times before attempting to get out there.
Another "mega" bird for the Western Port region!
