BirdingNZ.net

Hi all,

Just a follow-up on the stint after DT and I saw it on Tuesday.

I've seen a few hundred boreal autumnal Little Stints (LIST) in my previous life in Britain, and never seen anything like this bird. Almost all LIST in Britain in Sept/Oct are juveniles, with white "braces" and a dark centred crown, bright enough scapulars and wing coverts to make them look "colourful" compared to the normal (grey-toned) Red-necked Stints we get here. When looking at the photos of the Kidd's bird, it appears to be exactly like that, so I just don't get why it should be considered as an adult? (VERY happy to be enlightened).

The Ellesmere bird is, as far as I can ascertain, in perfect boreal SPRING-time breeding plumage. It isn't colourful - it glows! Like a little ginger light-bulb. And its braces aren't white, they are golden. It's a simply brilliant (in more ways than one) little gem.

So the obvious question is this : How does it come to be in full breeding plumage at exactly the wrong time of year? Has it been lurking in the Southern Hemisphere long enough to change it's moult to our seasons??

Dunno!

cheers

Not having any previous knowledge of these guys just having poured over all shorebird sites and my shorebird library I've been scratching my head on this one too. It is as you say as obvious as dogs balls amongst the other stints out there. It is indeed a wee ginger gem! The rush to see it before it 'blended' into the other stints may gave been premature!

Just an update on Kaitorete Spit tip.

No Little Stint there yesterday so I assume its still on the Greenpark Sands somewhere - spoilt for choice with recent rain forming pools everywhere.

Present yesterday were:

1 juv Bar-tailed Godwit
31 Turnstone
21
RN Stint
12 Wrybill
41 Banded Dotterel
23 Pied Stilt

There's also a sizeable Caspian tern colony (160+ birds) way out on the far edge of the mudflat. This species is super-sensitive to human disturbance and readily lift off their eggs (allowing Black-backed Gulls in a nearby colony to seize eggs or chicks), so please birders and wildlife photographers remember to give them at least a 100m wide berth. We'll deploy some traps out there in addition to existing ones in a few days time and DoC will put up some "no go" signs near the colony, so hopefully they'll be successful.

cheers

That's a big gang of Turnstone for Ellesmere. Nice

Not so large, Adam. How long have you been looking? Over the years there have been that sort of number before at this time of year. they often disappear and pop up in Southland later.

I apologise for being enthusiastic about it Jan.

Have you been down the spit tip yet Adam? It does really need a 4WD

4wd is all relative Jan! If you’re committed you can get a 2wd down as far as where the little stint was seen without too much trouble. Just need it to be dry and be careful to go around a few of the gravel holes that are deeper. I’ve taken my little corolla out there a couple of times.

As there is no mobile coverage out there, I would never go alone, though I have been in my 2WD a few times if a 4WD is along in case I get stuck. Personally I think you are mad to risk it!

Yip have been down a few times this season. Beaut spot.