*MEGA* Wilson's Phalarope Ahuriri Napier

[AlanShaw]

Here is some video of a female Wilson's Phalarope in full breeding plumage, taken in 1995 in England. Note the pot-bellied shape. [youtube]GTGsjmNLA6Y[/youtube]

[adamclarke]

Napier is certainly holding its own so far this wader season!

In addition to the phalarope which is now daily sighted feeding/resting atop slime islands at the scrape pond, Wayne and Margaret braved furious winds yesterday and saw two pectoral sandpipers at the Southern Marsh (pond just south of the Ahuriri River channel by expressway bridge).
This morning both birds were still present getting the run around from noisy pied stilts.

[sav]

Although Adam alluded to it, he didnt actually say that the phalarope was still present this morning. I got there at 11.00, aiming to find the bird for Phil Hammond who was due at 11.30 en route from Wellington to Auckland.

For half an hour it remained out of sight, but just as Phil arrived it popped up in it's "favourite" spot on the slime islands!! Not sure where it was in the interim, but definately not there.

Shame we didn't know about the Pecs....that would have been a nice bonus.

cheers

[sav]

Hi all,

No sign of the Pec Sands today, but both the Wilson's Phalarope AND Marsh Sandpiper were together on the slime island scrape - even in the same telescope view!! Watching the 2 together was a rare treat, and the similarities were striking. Pretty much every plumage detail was the same for both (neither flew so the rump differences were not apparent). The feeding habits and structure were of course quite different - and the phalarope had reverted to doing the "normal" phalarope thing of spinning about and feeding with a sewing-machine action.

The 2 were apparently both on Southern Marsh (ie the other side of the river) earlier this morning.

cheers

[Paul Gibson]

Thanks Sav for today's update. I'm planning on coming to Napier tomorrow morning to see this MEGA rarity, will be a lifer for me. I hope to be there late morning.

Paul Gibson
www.upics.co.nz

[philbattley]

The phalarope was present and behaving excellently this evening around 6 pm, when Toby Ross and I were over from Palmerston North. Very accommodating. Took lots of photos - a few unprocessed crops attached. The Marsh Sand was also on the same pond, along with lots of baby Pied Stilts. What a great spot.

One Plumed Whistling-duck at Taradale. At least nine mynas in Dannevirke. Are there usually this many? Last time through I saw just one.

Cheers, Phil

[Paul Gibson]

Bird still around in usual spot at 2 pm Friday. We managed a good series of photos, bird very cooperative. A lifer for me. Thanks to the finders of it, it would be so easy to overlook.

www.upics.co.nz

[adamclarke]

The phalarope/marsh sandpiper duo continued to grace the Westshore Scrape over the weekend. When not at the scrape the phalarope could be found at the adjacent lagoon.
It is quite special to have these these two similar-looking visitors together in such an accessible location. At one point yesterday they were even squabbling over foraging rights on the same algae island!

[Michael]

Make sure to notify me when he moves to the Hamilton Lake, or even Miranda. Us Hamiltonians always get the shorter end of the stick.

[George Hobson]

Make sure to notify me when he moves to the Hamilton Lake, or even Miranda. Us Hamiltonians always get the shorter end of the stick.

There's a really nice duck pond at the WGTN bot gardens it might like.....
It's tricky being a young birder without a car!!