Lake Ellesmere 2021/2022

[Adam C]

Pretty windy and bleak this evening and few birds about at Embankment road but good to see the Stint starting to show up here too. 7 birds looking pretty freshly arrived and also happy to report 1 Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper. Too quick for a photo!

[Adam C]

Bit of a report from Yesterday Evening and this morning. Jarvis Road to Embankment no sign of any sandpipers however 97 Bar-Tailed Godwit in the middle pond although still none convincingly 'fresh arrival' looking or carrying any real remnant breeding colour so not sure about the status of any of these birds as returnees. Approx 100 wrybill present and a seemingly feral pea-hen crossing the road just past Taitapu on the way home.

Took Jack out to the spit tip this morning but the Curlew Sandpiper was sadly absent along with 90% of the Wrybill. 12 Red-necked stint, 9 Turnstone present and most impressively well over 2000 Black Billed Gulls in the largest gathering I've ever seen! Will post a video on NZ Birders facebook page if anybody wants to have a guess at numbers.

Also this Wrybill with bands I believe Fraser and I didn't get last trip.

[Adam C]

Here's a section of the colony as a harrier flew over and put half of them up. I've never seen anything like it but may just be a regular staging event or with all the flooding that's been happening lately are they setting up to breed here or just generally a bit out of sorts?

[andrewcrossland]

Hi Adam, I counted 2900 black-bills at the colony a week ago - ofcourse over the day numbers come and go. Be good to subtly ask facebookers not to get too close. Those adjacent Black-Backs are adept at egg-robbing when the black-bills are lifted. Cheers
AC

[Adam C]

Yep we stayed pretty well back. These are all shot on a super zoom. I don't think many but the known Canty birders make the trip out there AC. Any idea whats happened to the tern colony. Displaced by gulls I'm sure?

[andrewcrossland]

Hi Adam, no caspians or white-fronted terns in the area at this stage, but there were 35 or so caspian also at the lake Forsyth outlet just past the canal on the lake side. Likely to be chased away by people and dogs though.
AC

[Adam C]

Ha. I've just re-read your report re the 700 odd Wrybill and not sure how I missed the gull colony bit. I thought this group must have shown up recently but obviously you're on the case AC! I wouldn't have got quite so excited otherwise. Still a very impressive sight for Jack my 15 year old to see. Cheers for the info.

[andrewcrossland]

This is as the colony last week viewed from behind some of the wrybill flock on the middle of the main area. No nests at that stage - just courting and mating. You should have seen the Ashburton rivermouth a few years ago - something like 15,000 black-bills on the delta and over 10,000 white-fronted terns on the spit. Mind-blowing.

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[Jan]

If any able-bodied person wants to come with me down the spit-tip, so I don't have to push the car by myself, I'll be happy to take my old corolla down there one day. It has quite high clearance and just got a new warrant after I hadn't noticed it was lacking one.

[Jan]

PS I have been down there several times in this vehicle before. I know it can do it but I've always been following a 4WD in the past, so they could give a hand just in case. Never needed a hand.