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Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 12:27 pm
by Michael Szabo
Sorry Russ, I meant Hudsonian Whimbrels - the International Ornithological Congress (IOC) is proposing to accept Hudsonian Whimbrel as a separate species from Whimbrel. Here is the link to the relevant IOC web page: https://www.worldbirdnames.org/updates/update-diary/

The proposed split is reportedly based on a paper published by Pavel Tomkovich and others in 'Nature Briefing' in December 2019 entitled "Population genomics of two congeneric Palaearctic shorebirds reveals differential impacts of Quaternary climate oscillations across habitats types"
Link to paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598- ... 7Y_PmrCQ1I

Link to photo of Hudsonian Whimbrel (Playa del Rey, California, 7 May 2019): https://scontent.fpmr1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5EA1F9EE

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 1:54 pm
by Grahame
I spent about an hour there yesterday afternoon Michael, but was unable to get the definitive view of the tail, rump and under wing to see if there was a Hudsonian Whimbrel among them. the only ones that obliged were normal.
Cheers, Grahame

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2020 5:20 pm
by RussCannings
Hi Michael,

I studied all 15 in flight several times, as well as on the ground, and all appeared to be typical Siberian types.

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2020 1:58 pm
by Michael Szabo
If anyone in NZ can ID one, it would be you!

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Sat May 02, 2020 3:18 pm
by RussCannings
3 species of godwit at the famous piako paddock including 1 each of Hudwit/Blackwit in full male breeding plumage. Also 3 whimbrel among the usuals and no sign of any egrets though 6 spoonbill and plenty of WF herons. This was around 1pm.

Was only there for a few minutes as had the kid in tow; nice to get out if the house though!

Russ

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Thu May 28, 2020 6:37 pm
by Grahame
I visited today from about 0900 to 1045 with PG. Many Pied Stilts, about 100 Bar t Godwits, 1 Black t Godwit in breeding plumage, 32 R Spoonbill, several Knot, 1 Caspian Tern and 9+ Cattle Egrets, and large numbers of White f Herons. Conspicuous by there absence were Oystercatchers.
Cheers, Grahame

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2020 9:38 am
by phil hammond
I went there about 3 hours after high tide yesterday the flooded paddock that we all have been visiting has more and more mangroves and there were just a few Stilts, but about a km due north other paddocks are partially flooded and yesterday 10 Cattle Egrets, at least 190 Godwits and several hundred stilts and oycs were there. If you go along the bund to the first gate and big Macrocarpas and look due north they were 3 paddocks away

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2020 6:09 pm
by David Lawrie
On the Birds NZ Firth of Thames census today, Tony Habraken found what appears to be a female Ruff (Reeve?) at the Piako Floodplain. it was not on the mudflat but on the flooded paddocks to the East of the stopbank. I had a very well patterned back with the characteristic leg colour.
Check it out and report back.

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 1:16 pm
by Grahame
Paul and I spent all morning there, but there was no sign of the possible Ruff. The remainder were as expected, many Bar tailed and 1 Black tailed Godwit, 20 R Spoonbills, 9 Cattle Egrets and 1 Great white Egret, Pied Stilt, Pied Oystercatcher and a few Wrybill.
Cheers, Grahame

Re: Piako Flood Plain Today

Posted: Mon Jun 29, 2020 6:25 pm
by phil hammond
Where were the Godwits today Grahame?