Piako Flood Plain Today

[Grahame]

They were in a partially flooded field alongside the cycle path, about i k to the East from the flood plain, then latterly, about 1030, they all flew into the flood plain.

Grahame

[Oscar Thomas]

Nothing Ruff-like there today either, but the Black-tailed Godwit, Kotuku and 10-11 Cattle Egrets were easy to find, where described previously.

[RussCannings]

David Thomas and I spent a few hours here this afternoon (Friday). No ruff-like objects but nice to see no less than 9 WHIMBREL along with 14 cattle egret, 420ish godwit, 110ish knot, 15 wrybill, and 600-700 stilt.

The flooded patch where the bird in question was, is no longer flooded, but many godwit, stilt, and oystercatchers were still happily foraging in the 'damp' paddocks in various places.

We also had at least one kaka, seen from the car, just north of Turua.

School holidays ticking down!

Russ C
Morrinsville, NZ

[RussCannings]

Definitely some new godwits back as there were around 800 present.

Also new for the season (to my knowledge) were:

1 MARSH SANDPIPER
1 Sharpie
1 P golden plover (adult)

(6 whimbrel at least, still around)

Russ C

[RussCannings]

Quiet on a lower high tide today.

10 whimbrel
190 godwit
0 smaller waders

1 shining cuckoo in the mangroves.

Russ C
Morrinsville, NZ

[RussCannings]

Visited pre-high tide yesterday and it looked like most of the main flock was present (800godwit/150knot). No whimbrel to be seen interestingly but a single MARSH SANDPIPER in breeding plumage was cool, and 2 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were also present, along with roughly 25 golden plovers mixed with the godwits.

I met another birder who saw two rooks come through the night before.

Russ

[Dave H]

I was at Piako yesterday afternoon, apart from a large number of godwits and knots, which I never got to count because it started raining, I had 11 whimbrel, 3 Sharpies, 2 PGP's and the marsh sandpiper.

There may have been more PGP's among the godwits but it started raining quite hard and the visibility was fairly poor.

Dave

[Liam Ballard]

Didn't see any PGPs on Friday afternoon, but we counted 10 whimbrel and found the marshie as well.

[phil hammond]

I didn't get there until 3 hours after high tide today [went to Miranda and Kaiaua first]

1 x marsh sand
1 x pec sand
5 x sharpies
9 x whimbrel
were about the best of it today, there were still about 400 barwits left, but I couldn't find any black-tails or hudwits in those that were left, either while they were roosting, or when I checked the tails as they departed in dribs and drabs
The whimbrels didn't look like departing while I was there so I couldn't check rumps, but they were a bit closer than normal and I checked each one for any richer colour along the flanks or diff head pattern. I couldn't see any reason to suspect any were anything other than the usual asiatic

Phil Hammond
Wrybill Birding Tours NZ
Great Birds, Real Birders

[RussCannings]

Popped in for NY morning. 5 Sharpies in close (no Pec sadly), 1 turnstone, 2 wrybill, and 10 whimbrel were the other highlights.