BirdingNZ.net

We had a bumper crop there today. 1 Hudsonian Godwit, 1 Black t Godwit, 4 Whimbrel and 3 Far E Curlew together with the usual supporting cast.

Cheers, Grahame

What time were you there? All those had gone when I was there at 1pm

Good Afternoon Wandoona,

Sorry for late reply as I was away up North all yesterday, and at Miranda all morning today.

I have just checked my birding log and find that all three of us arrived there at 1250 and left at 1410. We were in two cars which we parked on the top of the bank on the track and remained with. You did read the date of my post correctly I assume, Monday 15th.

Cheers,

Grahame

Should have gone to specsavers!!!!!

An Eastern Black-tailed Godwit in lovely breeding Plumage, 3 F E Curlew, and a Great Egret was about the best of it late this afternoon.

Also about 700 wrybill, 20-30 barwits, about the same banded dotts, a couple of knots and the usual big flocks of SIPO and Stilts plus ducks etc

Phil Hammond
Wrybill Birding Tours NZ
Great Birds, Real Birders

At late morning today there were 3 Far-E Curlew, 46 Royal Spoonbill and 1 Black-t Godwit in full breeding plumage. Still with the SIPO's was the leucistic SIPO, all that was usually black was brown, flecked with white. Interesting looking bird. Plus the usual Bar-t Godwits, Pied Stilts, Wrybill, Caspian Tern and Grey Teal.

Cheers, Grahame

It was a moderate 3.1m tide yesterday which peaked at about 3pm. I was there from 4pm to 5.15 and counted;

Glossy Ibis----------------------1
Hudsonian Godwit-------------1
Black-tailed Godwit-----------1 [breeding plumage]
Bar-tailed Godwit--------------81
Wrybill---------------------------810
Pied Stilt------------------------990
Banded Dotterel---------------15
F.E.Curlew----------------------3
S.I.P.O.--------------------------1780
Masked Lapwing---------------3
Red-billed Gull-----------------470
Kelp Gull------------------------2
Caspian Tern--------------------3
Royal Spoonbill-----------------26
Grey Teal------------------------only 2 --possibly due to duck shooting season
Mallard--------------------------2
Paradise Shelduck-------------0
Pied Cormorant----------------1
Great Cormorant--------------1

The glossy Ibis was foraging independently for most of the time, whilst the Spoonbills were roosting, but it joined a flock of a dozen or so Spoonbills that flew off in the direction of the rivermouth at 5.15. By then the godwits and curlews had gone too

Phil Hammond
Wrybill Birding Tours NZ
Great Birds, Real Birders

In just over an hour up to high tide @1710 yesterday afternoon, there was no sign of the F E Curlews, but the Glossy Ibis and Black-t Godwit were there along with 37 R Spoonbills and all the usual's. We found the viewing was very bad due to high winds and sun low in the sky, so unable to find the Hudsonian and Leucistic SIPO.
There is a large difference in the tide height forecasts between different sources. Todays are varying from 3.7 to 4.22m heights, the former from LINZ and the other from the met service.

Cheers, Grahame

A very low tide today ( 3.1m ), such that at high tide no water flowed through the breach. However, there was a Great Egret, the Black-tailed Godwit in full breeding plumage, the Hudsonian Godwit in basic plumage along with 44 Royal Spoonbill plus all the usual in slightly reduced numbers.

Cheers, Grahame

Big big tide today, so big infact (3.8m) that the waders left the flooded paddocks completely, so bear this in mind for ~1hr either side of a big high tide like this.

We were very lucky with the birds, seeing:
3 Far Eastern Curlew
2 Black-tailed godwits (1 in full breeding plumage, and a second in full basic)
1 Hudsonian godwit
43 Spoonbill
200+ wrybill
140 Bar-tailed godwit

Etc.

No brown teal today nor any cattle egrets or the glossy ibis