Wrybill, Whanganui Estuary
Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2020 11:35 am
I spotted a small group of seven wrybill feeding on the Whanganui estuary yesterday afternoon around 1500. They were working their way downstream from the Whanganui Sailing Club into the teeth of a gale! They were hunkered down into the wind as they walked but some of the gusts were so strong they were occasionally knocked sideways. I struggled to hold the camera steady enough to get some decent images so apologies for the quality of the images attached.
I normally spend my time birding in northern Taranaki so didn't realise that these wrybill were unreported recently on eBird or on the NZ Bird Atlas.
Braving the strong gusts on the incoming tide there were also three bar-tailed godwit, a dozen each of red-billed gulls, pied stilts and SIPO, some mallard, and around 150 Kelp gulls. My Atlas checklist: https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S62934670
I normally spend my time birding in northern Taranaki so didn't realise that these wrybill were unreported recently on eBird or on the NZ Bird Atlas.
Braving the strong gusts on the incoming tide there were also three bar-tailed godwit, a dozen each of red-billed gulls, pied stilts and SIPO, some mallard, and around 150 Kelp gulls. My Atlas checklist: https://ebird.org/atlasnz/checklist/S62934670