I have been visiting Harrington at approximately monthly intervals for the past 4 years, and doing a survey for waders while I am up there. I also go to the southern mouth of the Manning River, near Old Bar, which generally has more waders present (more species, in greater numbers). Harrington has suffered a bit due to a severe storm last June, which removed a sandspit (where waders roosted and Little Terns bred) and relocated a sandbank in the middle of the river, where many waders, gulls & terns, cormorants, pelicans etc roosted. A new sandbank has formed closer to the start of the breakwater and waders have begun using it in the past few months.
In the 4 years of regular visits, I have only seen Red-necked Avocets twice at Harrington. Three birds in May 2008, which flew through without stopping, and a single bird feeding there in September 2011. I have never found any Black-winged Stilts. Both species are often present in large numbers in the Hunter Estuary (Newcastle) which is only 150km or so away.
It is very interesting that Tom found 30 or so Avocet on his visit. I look forward to seeing if they are still around when I go up there in a week or so’s time for my next survey.
There are often some Sanderling in the Manning Estuary in summer – 10-20 birds and occasionally in slightly greater numbers. I think the highest ever count is 40 or so of them. Mainly I find these around at the Old Bar side, and they also used to roost in the sandspit that disappeared. Have also sometimes seen them on the sandbank that disappeared. It’s quite conceivable that there could have been some of them present when Tom visited.
On corvids – Forest Raven is by far the most common of those at Harrington. But around at Old Bar, it’s Torresian Crows and Australian Ravens. I’m very sure of the ID at Old Bar as I have inspected the carcasses of birds culled to protect the Little Tern colony there.
Alan Stuart
