Broad Billed Sandpiper – WTP, VIC
By Birding-Aus, on March 24th, 2014
Hi All, For those that are still looking, my son and I clearly identified a Broad Billed Sandpiper at the Western Treatment Plant, T Section Lagoons yesterday. It was in the NE corner of pond 3 and viewed with Marsh Sandpipers and a few Sharp Tailed Sandpipers. We also saw Little Tern at the second rocky point north of the Beach Rd Boatramp and a single Pectoral Sandpiper at the pond immediately north of the Boatramp, as previously reported. Happy birding. Regards Martin and John Woodward _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Martin Thanks for your observations – all part of the intriguing puzzle! Steve Davidson holds the record, I think, with 4 BBS at the rocky point near Beach Road gate. I recollect this species being around every summer for the last 3 or 4 years. This was my first Victorian sighting I think. I wonder if they will keep turning up in small numbers like this? Of course, we wondered the same thing about Red-necked Phalarope about 10 years ago, when there were three birds one summer. I don’t think there has been one in this region since! Cheers Russell _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Russell, There weren’t many waders at the rocky point itself, being 4 Little Tern which I clearly identified with the scope, and about 10 Crested Tern. However the tide was low at the time (about 1pm), so there were about 150 Red Necked Stints feeding along the adjacent shoreline. We looked closely at all the RNS’s with both binoculars and scope but couldn’t find the Broad Billed Sandpiper. It was later on (about 4.30pm) as the tide was coming in, when we saw the BBS with the scope at the T lagoons. At the time it was resting and preening itself in a sheltered part of the pond, before it moved off to feed casually near some Sharp Tailed Sandpipers, so your theory about some shoreline feeders resting in the nearby lagoons could be correct. From previous reports and the birders I spoke to on Sunday, the BBS’s have been located at different sites over the past weeks but all within a narrow band between the bird hide and the T section lagoons. Regards Martin Sent: Monday, 24 March 2014 10:14 PM Cc: birding-aus@birding-aus.org Hi Martin Were there many waders at the rocky point where you saw the Little Tern? This is where 3 Broad-billed Sandpipers have been seen at different times in the last couple of weeks. Perhaps the waders feed here when the tide is right, and then return to other lagoons? The last time I was at T-Section, about a week ago, there were few waders, but they started coming in steadily over the next half hour. And a confession / retraction: I reported 21 Little Tern at that rocky point near he Beach Rd gate, but after seeing some comments and photos on the Victorian Birders Facebook page, I had a proper look at my own photos. I’m now going with c. 2 Little Tern, and some White-winged Black Tern and Whiskered Tern, although my photos are nowhere near clear enough to identify all birds, some of which may be Little Tern (and Fairy Tern? None that I could see). A good lesson in paying attention to detail and not generalising! Russell Woodford Geelong Hi All, For those that are still looking, my son and I clearly identified a Broad Billed Sandpiper at the Western Treatment Plant, T Section Lagoons yesterday. It was in the NE corner of pond 3 and viewed with Marsh Sandpipers and a few Sharp Tailed Sandpipers. We also saw Little Tern at the second rocky point north of the Beach Rd Boatramp and a single Pectoral Sandpiper at the pond immediately north of the Boatramp, as previously reported. Happy birding. Regards Martin and John Woodward _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi Martin Were there many waders at the rocky point where you saw the Little Tern? This is where 3 Broad-billed Sandpipers have been seen at different times in the last couple of weeks. Perhaps the waders feed here when the tide is right, and then return to other lagoons? The last time I was at T-Section, about a week ago, there were few waders, but they started coming in steadily over the next half hour. And a confession / retraction: I reported 21 Little Tern at that rocky point near he Beach Rd gate, but after seeing some comments and photos on the Victorian Birders Facebook page, I had a proper look at my own photos. I’m now going with c. 2 Little Tern, and some White-winged Black Tern and Whiskered Tern, although my photos are nowhere near clear enough to identify all birds, some of which may be Little Tern (and Fairy Tern? None that I could see). A good lesson in paying attention to detail and not generalising! Russell Woodford Geelong On 24 March 2014 17:37, Martin Woodward < mallee28@impulse.net.au> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org