Stilt Sandpiper at WTP

After successfully locating a Little Bittern at Reedy Lake this morning, we were getting on with some work. A quick phone call to Rohan Clarke at around 10am – while he was looking AT the Stilt Sandpiper – so we decided to head there immediately.

By the time we got there at around 10:30am the bird had just flown from T-Section Lagoons. Birders were attempting to relocate it. Eventually Jen Spry said it had been found at Austin Road Lagoon.

We scoped the bird, but it was very distant, and views were not satisfying. After some discussion with the other birders there, we decided that Peter Menkhorst, Ruth and I would head to Austin Road and either look from there, or at worst flush the bird back to the other side. As it happened, we got quite good views, and some terrible photos. Unfortunately, just as Peter set up his good camera, and just as the other birders started heading over to Austin Road, the two Greenshanks that were with the Sandpiper flew (they were very flighty) – the Stilt Sandpiper flew too and we could not immediately relocate it.

I received a call from Greg Oakley a little later on to say that he had seen the bird back at the T-Section Lagoons where it was reported this morning. Since then the rain has come, and the bird flew again.

Latest I heard is that the bird returned to T-Section briefly then flew off again, to the north.

Paul Dodd Docklands, Victoria

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