Whimbrel – Port Botany (Sydney) 18 June 2016

Hi all
a single Whimbrel was seen near the pilings at the wader site in Port Botany – seen at approx. 11;30 am, low/falling tide. Also 2 Aust Pied Oystercatchers but no other waders seen; just 2 Little Egret and a few Australian Ibis. I know I’ve seen over-wintering Whimbrel further north in Australia, but not sure I’ve ever seen a Sydney over-wintering bird before.
It was the first time I’d been since the new port development – the area reserved for the birds looks quite good – some shingle banks, some samphire/saltmarsh and (at low tide) quite a lot of mud. Hope it proves attractive in the long run (and there are birds to use it).
Cheers
Tom Wilson