Lake Ellesmere 2021/2022

[FraserGurney]

Spent the first afternoon of level two restriction out at Kaitorete Spit tip today with Adam Colley. Conditions were perfect with clear skies, no wind and birds everywhere.

The highlight was a lone CURLEW SANDPIPER, previously reported by Niall Mugan, mixing it up with an incredible 561 wrybill (good counting Adam!). At least four wrybill were banded; YGYB, KYWK, ?YRO and ?YGK. Also present were eight red-necked stint, two red knot and 15 ruddy turnstone.

Earlier in the day Warwick Allen also had a MARSH SANDPIPER over at Yarrs Bay.

Bring on the wader season!

[Adam C]

Few record shots below of this epic little bird. Other then one brief sighting by Andrew last year Ellsemere missed out on this iconic little wader. So lovely to have at least 1 already this season. Roll on the rest of our inbound shorebirds.

[andrewcrossland]

Niall Mugan has asked me to post some pics of an interesting looking stint he photographed at kaitorete spit tip lately

C6FBCFC4-F6AC-4E2C-9645-7A4B47E6CA29.png (552.49 KiB) Viewed 4138 times

E57CE2C2-9507-4499-90DF-FB042332062C.png (1.32 MiB) Viewed 4138 times

A3ED1680-51A6-42D7-A4BC-CE72B7A6F8FC.png (607.96 KiB) Viewed 4138 times

[Adam C]

Yip saw that one too. Instantly looked different. While plumage wasn't outside the range of RNS (and most looking at these photos won't be convinced it was anything other) structure and behaviour really stood out in the field and was quite different to the other stint gang out there and it seemed to keep itself separate. Couple more pics here (if it's the same bird) I guess only other contenders are Little (impossible to really know) Shorter billed Western or Semi-Palmated but don't know if it can be pushed into those camps so who knows. Just an RNS in a slighty different plumage cycle 'doing its own thing'?

[sav]

Hi all,

I think there are already two different birds in this thread. Look at the dark centers to the coverts - they have different shapes. And it looks like two different bill shapes too?
I can't see anything in the second posting that doesn't look like a RNStint to me, but Niall's bird does look a bit odd!

cheers

[Oscar Thomas]

Hi all,

I think there are already two different birds in this thread. Look at the dark centers to the coverts - they have different shapes. And it looks like two different bill shapes too?
I can't see anything in the second posting that doesn't look like a RNStint to me, but Niall's bird does look a bit odd!

cheers

This blog post cites the covert as way to distinguish them, could well be a Little Stint:

"Their upperparts are gray brown, which is almost identical to Red-necked Stints. However, Little Stints show broad dark central feathers on their body. In Red-necked Stints they have thin dark feather shafts, not centers"

https://daretobird.blogspot.com/2017/08 ... ation.html

[andrewcrossland]

Niall’s thinking was Little stint but open to thoughts and resightings. Bird has been seen twice over a week or so. The solitudes of Kaitorete are part of Niall’s bubble.

[Jan]

Ok to access that area in Level 2 though? Have you got a 4WD Fraser?

[Adam C]

Yep now I'm looking at it def 2 different birds here. Is the first bird not just an RNS in transition from Breeding to non-breeding? They carry very heavy-centered feathers at this stage like these ones photographed in October a few years back.

[FraserGurney]

Ok to access that area in Level 2 though? Have you got a 4WD Fraser?

I don't have a 4WD but you can get a 2WD to the spit tip without too much trouble at the moment. In terms of Level 2 it's fine, its part of safe recreation.

I'll leave the stint debate to more qualified minds but I'll just add that Niall's photos don't show much tibia and looks to me to be a red-necked stint transitioning into non-breeding. I'd be very happy to be wrong!