Good observation. They certainly look like banded dotterel. At least at Whanganui airport, where there is an extensive grass apron and close to the Whanganui estuary, a large number of banded dotterel use the airport during winter months. This can be seen in the following data, kindly collected by Bevin Shaw, who was helping out as a baggage handler there at the time. Between April 2011 and April 2014, he counted the birds that he could see on the grass and runway up to 4 times a day, 4-5 days a week, for 28 months in this period. There were gaps in counting during the spring-early summer months in years 2 and 3, but this coincided with the birds' breeding season, when they were elsewhere, so the number of birds, if present, was quite likely low; see the data for 2011-12, which was presented a complet annual cyclee. Obviously, the counts were quite variable because they were made from a single stationary position and so depended on variables such as grass height, weather conditions (wind, rain or not, light levels, etc.), as well as on time of day and the tidal conditions on the adjacent estuary, to which the birds would move to feed. But, if one takes the maximum count each month, a clear pattern emerges.
- Maximum number of Banded Dotterel counted monthly on Whanganui Airport apron, April 2011-April 2014 (data courtesty of Bevin Shaw)
- Banded Dotterel_airport_April 2011-April 2014-v2.png (225.52 KiB) Viewed 425 times
Banded dotterel have also nested on the airport apron (see
https://www.birdsnz.org.nz/publications/nest-relocation-by-banded-dotterel-charadrius-bicinctus/), including one pair that nested right on the edge of the taxiway in front of the airport buildings. The following photo shows an Air New Zealand plane heading for take-off, with the wing tip passing near the nest (marked "N"). The nesting bird (marked "B") moved off briefly (but didn't fly), before returning to sit on its three eggs.
- Location of a banded dotterel nest ("N") on the edge of the taxiway, with an Air New Zealand plane heading out for take-off, briefly causing the sitting bird ("B") to get off the nest.
- Banded_Dotterel_nest_Wanganui_airport+Air New Zealand_20101207.jpg (452.05 KiB) Viewed 425 times
It might be worth looking at the outer fringes of Wellington and other airports, perhaps the smaller ones, where banded dotterel are seen and where one or more pairs may nest.
Peter
