Black-fronted Dotterel heard at night (Waikato)

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RussCannings
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Black-fronted Dotterel heard at night (Waikato)

Postby RussCannings » Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:17 am

Hi all,

This is a late report that I'm finally getting around too. Last weekend I was dealing with a baby that didn't want to go to sleep. One of the most effective strategies is walking him around outside after dark. This has the dual benefit of listening for nocturnal birds or birds that are dispersing around the country overhead at night (particularly during the spring/autumn). We live in urban Morrinsville but Pied Stilt can be heard on a weekly basis transiting between various flooded fields presumably. Several times a year I hear SIPO overhead, and occasionally Shining Cuckoo can be heard (at night) as they fly north or south overhead). When we lived in Cambridge, I once heard Bar-tailed Godwits.

Anyway--this was the best yet. While strolling the backyard, I heard the distinctive 'peeep!' of a Black-fronted Dotterel flying overhead. It vocalised around 7-8 times as it passed (seemingly northward) overhead.

As spring comes closer, this is a timely reminder that night time listening can be a great way to hear some different things in your area. Obviously morepork, weka, and kiwi may be about for some, but night is also great for hearing bittern, crakes, and fernbird (no background noise of thrushes!), and you never know when some shorebirds, ducks, or cuckoos etc., might passover. The NZ Atlas could also benefit from more nocturnal point counts :)

Russ

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