BirdingNZ.net

Basic plumaged adult hawking flies on a flooded flash area just North of Waituna lagoon, now settled on a wee island.

Cheers,
Sean

Showing very well yesterday afternoon, to the extent that even I managed some passable smudgers. Gorgeous birds in any plumage, interesting to note here the moult step in the flight feathers where the fresh inner primaries are growing in.

It's chosen habitat is a rather sumptuous flooded paddock with a mix of unvegetated edges, emergent rushes and little islands. Hoaching with pied stilts and grey teal yesterday; a potentially rewarding spot to keep an eye on and easily viewed from the minor road immediately to South.

Cheers,
Sean

There were two white-winged black terns at Waituna today. Both were roosting with black-fronted terns out on islands in the lagoon and were making foraging flights around the general area. Viewable from right by the car park.

One bird seen well on the lagoon today, very active and worth the wet feet for some photos: https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S129654582

White winged tern present again this arvo. Showing very well with black fronted terns and a lone Caspian tern.

Cheers, Bradley

There have been at least three different WWBT at Waituna lagoon over the past couple of weeks. Two of these were northern cycle birds; an immature seen by Joe Bliss on 22/01, and a much paler, adult-type seen by Richard Schofield on 30/01. Yesterday I had what I think must be a southern cycle bird transitioning out of breeding plumage (pictured). The lagoon has been opened to the sea very recently as an emergency measure due to a toxic algae bloom and this has suddenly exposed/created a lot of shoreline, flats and shallow areas which were thronged with wetland birds during my all too brief visit - worth a trip if anyone is in the vicinity over the next wee while. Very pleasing to see lots of juvenile black-fronted terns; of 51 perched on the shoreline near the lagoon opening yesterday, 50 were juveniles. Hopefully this is an indication of a good breeding season in at least part of their range.

Cheers,
Sean