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Something I forgot to mention yesterday. For those who have never visited this spot, don't hang about as the mangroves are rapidly growing, so its just a matter of time before we will be unable to see anything.
Cheers, Grahame

But from the stop bank you look down on the wide open paddocks ( now flood plain ) or was I in the wrong place? I didn’t see the hideous etc

I couldn't agree more. At the moment all is fine, but as we find to our cost at Miranda, they grow very, very quickly and are regularly pulled out, so this time next year, all will be far from fine. Hence my warning for the future. There is already a patch where some birds can hide.

Cheers, Grahame

Viewed around the high tide tome. E Curlew 3, R Spoonbill 60, Bar-t Godwit 3, Hudsonian Godwit 1, Cattle Egret 17, Glossy Ibis 1, Wrybill, Pied Stilt, Grey Teal and Masked Lapwing. The latter 3 in field with main herd of cows.

Cheers, Grahame

Only a 3.4m tide today, so plod plane remained uncovered at high tide.

From 30minutes before to 90 after, R Spoonbill 52, Pied Stilt c50, E Curlew 3, Cattle Egret 10, Glossy Ibis, Masked Lapwing 27, Grey Teal 12, Pheasant 1 male. Notable by their absence were, Wrybill and any Godwits. That's a first.

Cheers, Grahame

I was there for two hours up to high tide on Aug 8, no curlew, egrets or ibis just 8 Godwits (all positively identified as Bar-tailed unfortunately), about 50 spoonbills, and estimated 150 Wrybill.
Cheers
Richard

Absolutely quiet today (Saturday) with about 8 godwits who flew off a minute or two after we got there. About 50 spoonbills, some stilts, and a handful of wrybill.

At about half an hour after high tide when I got there today the wader area was all under water but shallow enough for 930 Bar-tailed Godwits to be standing. Only 4 Knots and no small waders.

The Glossy bis and 18 Cattle Egrets were 2 paddocks away

The conditions with almost horizontal rain and very strong wind made it too tough for close examination of the godwits to try to pick out any hudwits or black tails [even on a heavy tripod I couldn't keep the scope still]

Phil Hammond
Wrybill Birding Tours NZ
"Great Birds, Real Birders"

A good hour from 0900 this morning, yielded 2 Hudsonian Godwits, 6 Whimbrel, 2 E Curlew, I P G Plover (untagged & without an antenna), and usual supporting cast.
Cheers, Grahame

At low tide today the only arctic migrants present were 8 PGP and 1 Sharptail

The Glossy Ibis and Cattle Egrets were still in the area, and as usual the Ibis went anywhere the Egrets went, but they were not in the flooded paddock or adjacent paddocks instead being on a farm between Shelly Beach Rd and SH25.

All but 1 of the 18 Cattle Egrets had a fair bit of orange and some looked pretty close to full breeding plumage.

Some stayed here through last summer but nothing in their behavior today gave any indication that they are setting up to breed here, at least not yet

Phil Hammond
Wrybill Birding Tours NZ
"Great Birds Real Birders"