MEGA - multiple Gull-billed Terns at Manawatu Estuary

[sav]

I got a call from Roger Slack at about 1pm to say that he had just seen a Gull-billed Tern at the Manawatu Estuary this morning. Leaving work (only slightly ) early this afternoon I was able to get there by about 4.30

Watching from the Dawick St carpark I soon found the bird flying and feeding between the sandspit and the river (tide really quite low). To my utter surprise it was joined by another, and then another, individual.

I have just read an email that Roger sent me describing his bird and I dont think I saw the same one. His seems to have been almost in breeding plumage with a black cap to the eye, but all three of mine lacked the black cap and had white crowns with big blackish eye patches.....so certainly 3 and more likely 4 different individuals.

The weather is calm and cold overnight so I cant image they will go far in a hurry.

As far as I can work out this is only the 6th NZ record in the 2000s and certainly the first at the Manawatu since Jan 2002 (when there were 2 birds).
cheers

[sav]

Steve Wood and Igor Debski had found 2 GBTerns by 2.30 this afternoon. One as described by Roger Slack and one in non-breeding plumage.

[igor]

Steve and I were there from 2pm until 3:30pm and there were actually four birds present the entire time, on and over the mud on the north side of the river between the bollards and the spit. Tide was quite low. Observation was easy, but they were quite camera shy. There was one bird in breeding plumage, and of the other three one appeared to be a first winter starting to come into breeding plumage and two adult non-breeders. Some record shots attached - hopefully Steve got some better results.
Cheers,
Igor

[Peter Frost]

I was there as the same time as Igor and Steve, but at the other end of the mud flats, looking westwards. I also counted four birds, as described by Igor: 1 adult and 3 in non-breeding plumage (one with large dark ear coverts - standing next to adult in Igor's photo; one with intermediate sized dark ear coverts; and one with quite a pale head and less black on ear covers - the other non-breeding bird shown in Igor's photos, I think). The birds were feeding over the mud flats at low tide, dip-hawking what seemed to be small crabs. After catching the ?crabs they would alight briefly, eat the item, then take off and continue foraging. They were almost constantly on the move, settling for no more than a minute or less at a time (even when away from the photographers). Their flight is quite distinctive: long wings, short tail, and quite bulky body, yet the flight looked buoyant (but not light and flighty like a White-fronted Tern). It's good to see the species again (last time was Lake Naivasha in Kenya

Peter

[ledzep]

Unlike Peter I haven't been to Lake Naivasha, so these birds were a first for me! 3 birds showing well 3 pm - 4.30 pm Fri afternoon at low tide doing as Peter describes, diving for crabs on the mudflats between the spit and the river. 1 black cap, 2 with pale heads. Weather isn't looking good for the weekend but hopefully the birds will stay for other twitchers.

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[sav]

At least three of the Gull-billed Terns were still pesent this afternoon (Sunday). Unfortunately I couldn't find the breeding plumage adult, but the others were up and down the place and resting with Caspian and White-fronted Terns just south of the sandspit.

As far as I can make out there are 3 adults and a single first year bird - the bird to the left in Igor's photo. It has a restricted black mask, a clearer white crown and very dark primaries. The birds which I presume to be adults in non-breeding plumage have bigger dark masks, some mottling on the crown (particularly towards the nape) and silvery black primaries.

[craigsteed]

I spent an hour or so down there this morning, around 8am. Saw three birds present, one in breeding plumage just out on the mud flat next to the typical roosting spit. No doubt there will be more reports later today as people head home from OSNZ. Lots of Shoveler (21) present today also, haven't seen that there before along with a number of caspian tern (~12), 25 banded dotterel, 22 grey teal, Canada Geese galore and about 40 Spoonbill. I'll put a photo up soon of the Gull-billed tern next to a caspian tern.

[Peter Frost]

I searched the estuary from the marina to the western end of the bird reserve between 10:25 and 11:30 this morning. No sign of the gull-billed terns, although there was a largish group of terns out on the sandspit by the river mouth. From 11:15 onwards (high tide due at 12:22) some of the WFTs began coming into the estuary to roost, but no gullibles among them up to that point. Other birds seen and counted included:
Black Shag 25
Little Black Shag 3
Royal Spoonbill 45
Black Swan 1
Canada Goose 127
NZ Shoveller 6 (Craig saw more)
Grey Teal 32
Mallard 48
Pukeko 4
Pied Stilt 13
Pied Oystercatcher 12
Bar-tailed Godwit 10 (didn't see any Banded Dotterel, possibly up on the fernbird flats shoreline)
Masked Lapwing 9
Black-backed Gull 137
Red-billed Gull 3
Black-billed Gull 7
Caspian Tern 31 (one colour-banded MW-G, a bird from Bell Island, Nelson, I believe)
White-fronted Tern 61 (with others out near the river mouth)

Peter

[craigsteed]

Here's the photos I promised, I was still some distance from the birds and I was not keen to cross what looked a deepish and slippery waterway, however enough evidence. In Peter's more detailed bird count he mentioned the blag shags, I enjoyed watching a group this size swim up from the river mouth this morning obviously following (or pushing up?) a school of fish. There was a feeding frenzy and all around the shags capsian terns were diving in making the most of it. Meanwhile the gull billed terns just stood on the mudflat seemingly uninterested.
Craig

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[simon.fordham]

Today, four of us took a post-conference drive to the Foxton Estuary in anticipation.

One gull-billed tern, in non-breeding plumage,was present early afternoon amongst the spoonbills opposite the lookout at the aend of Dawick St.

Cheers
Simon