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Went to Embankment Road this morning and teamed up with two other birders. We found a Little Stint among a group of RNS, also present were at least 30 BT Godwits, quite a few Wrybills and Banded Dotterels. Also found a Marsh Sandpiper in a group of Pied Stilts.

Well done Stefan.

Shot out to Embankment road this morning with my 14 year old Jack in tow to find the Little Stint for him. Found the stint flock very quickly and thought we had it at a distance but as we got closer it didn't look right. Attached is an image of the bird which I initially thought was our Little Stint that had suddenly lost its breeding colours but on closer inspection I'm 99% sure it isn't as it has a really 'buffy butt' Anyway it doesn't really fit anything else so has to be a RNS in some weird moult colour or possibly the heat lately as forced a very speedy moult in our Little. The whole bird is just a muted buff standing out from the rest of the stint flock. Love some feedback.

2 Curlew Sandpiper and a several Wrybill associating with the Stint Flock but no sign of the Godwit, Knots or Marsh Sandpiper that were here a week or so earlier. Also the track has dried up considerably so you can easily drive right down to the first big puddle now.

Anyway we decided to check wolfes road quickly before shooting home and were stoked to find the Little Tern again! Interestingly enough it had a bit of a dogfight with a Black Fronted Tern at one stage and was surprisingly smaller still! he really is a tiny, lonely Little Tern and even the Stilts and BF Tern were giving him a hard time in flight. It does seem he's sticking around the area so worth getting out for!

Adam C wrote:Shot out to Embankment road this morning with my 14 year old Jack in tow to find the Little Stint for him. Found the stint flock very quickly and thought we had it at a distance but as we got closer it didn't look right. Attached is an image of the bird which I initially thought was our Little Stint that had suddenly lost its breeding colours but on closer inspection I'm 99% sure it isn't as it has a really 'buffy butt' Anyway it doesn't really fit anything else so has to be a RNS in some weird moult colour or possibly the heat lately as forced a very speedy moult in our Little. The whole bird is just a muted buff standing out from the rest of the stint flock. Love some feedback.

2 Curlew Sandpiper and a several Wrybill associating with the Stint Flock but no sign of the Godwit, Knots or Marsh Sandpiper that were here a week or so earlier. Also the track has dried up considerably so you can easily drive right down to the first big puddle now.

Anyway we decided to check wolfes road quickly before shooting home and were stoked to find the Little Tern again! Interestingly enough it had a bit of a dogfight with a Black Fronted Tern at one stage and was surprisingly smaller still! he really is a tiny, lonely Little Tern and even the Stilts and BF Tern were giving him a hard time in flight. It does seem he's sticking around the area so worth getting out for!

cool adam i have to get out there with my boy lots of birds we have not got photos of yet..so do we go to the end of embankment rd to see some of them..thanks kelly

Hi Kelly. Yes drive through the gate and as far down the mud/dirt track as you dare. Quite dry now so much easier. Then just follow the fence line and start looking. Sometimes they are easy and right by the fence in the first big puddle. Sometimes the birds are spread out around the lake and you'll need to get adventurous and put some leg work in Part of the charm of Ellesmere!

Adam C wrote:Hi Kelly. Yes drive through the gate and as far down the mud/dirt track as you dare. Quite dry now so much easier. Then just follow the fence line and start looking. Sometimes they are easy and right by the fence in the first big puddle. Sometimes the birds are spread out around the lake and you'll need to get adventurous and put some leg work in Part of the charm of Ellesmere!

Hi cool thanks for that.and yes some leg work will do me and the boy good lol.so when through the gate and go as far as i can do we go L or R.just not been to this part so its all new to me..Thanks

Hi all,
Sharon Roberts was up from Alexandra in another mad dash to see birds all over the place, so she and Annette came with me to find these neat birds on holiday in our area. Since the last post it has been southerly and rained heavily so driving anywhere at all is out. We walked out to where the last bush on the old fenceline is; then went left towards the old site of the Dom Gull colony. Stint was found with his RN cousins in a huddle near the edge of the grassy gull colony site. Little Tern was resting on the green flats further out towards the lake proper, but swiftly disappeared. There were also 81 Bartails, a Black-billed gull with a two-tone Black and Red bill and quite a few Wrybill. Might have been some sandpipers but they went and we couldn't find the Marsh sandpiper either.

Jan wrote:Hi all,
Sharon Roberts was up from Alexandra in another mad dash to see birds all over the place, so she and Annette came with me to find these neat birds on holiday in our area. Since the last post it has been southerly and rained heavily so driving anywhere at all is out. We walked out to where the last bush on the old fenceline is; then went left towards the old site of the Dom Gull colony. Stint was found with his RN cousins in a huddle near the edge of the grassy gull colony site. Little Tern was resting on the green flats further out towards the lake proper, but swiftly disappeared. There were also 81 Bartails, a Black-billed gull with a two-tone black and red bill and quite a few Wrybill. Might have been some sandpipers but they went and we couldn't find the Marsh sandpiper either.

The Little Stint is still quite glowing in breeding finery, the other bird someone saw with fading BP must be something else.

Arr thanks Jan. At least the Little Stint is still there. Gutted the one time I take Jack out it was absent!

Visited this morning. Little tern was present further out on the flats initially anyway and then flew up and landed right next to the big pond right on the 4wd track! Stoked.

Little stint, 30 odd RNS, 1 pectoral sandpiper, 20 Wrybill, 15 Banded dotts including some Juveniles and 19 wrybill.