In early-March I received the opportunity to assist in a count of wading-birds at high-tide at Manly Marina in South-east Queensland. The birds will soon be heading northwards to their ‘breeding-grounds’ in Siberia and north-east Asia and many are starting to moult into their ‘breeding-plumage’. I was asked to help find and photograph ‘flagged’ birds to assist the ongoing-migration analysis with Arthur and Sheryl Keates of the Queensland Wader Study Group (QWSG) (…please note that Manly Marina roost is a ‘restricted area’ and is only accessible by ‘invite’)
View of roost-site facing east
Grey-tailed Tattler, Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, note the blue flag on the leg of one of the tattler, originally ‘banded’ in Hokkaido, Japan.
Little Tern, Bar-tailed Godwit, Terek Sandpiper, Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler, Red-necked Stint and Curlew Sandpiper, all present in this clip.
Little Tern and Red-necked Stint
Little Tern, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, Great Knot and Curlew Sandpiper.
Bar-tailed Godwit, Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper Great Knot and Pied Stilt
One bird that had only just arrived moulting out of it’s ‘breeding-plumage’, a Double-banded Plover from New Zealand.
Outside Manly Marina I filmed these Bar-tailed Godwits, Great Knot and Silver Gulls on nearby Wynnum Esplanade, the bird call is a Pied Oystercatcher, there were 77 just off camera!
Pied Oystercatchers with Bar-tailed Godwits in background.
Bar-tailed Godwits, Great Knots and a single Red Knot (centre)
This Grey-tailed Tattler was photographed at Scarborough further north on Moreton Bay.
Hope this post has given you ‘inspiration’ to assist further with the conservation of the many ‘globally-threatened’ wader-species, they face many issues and need our help………..please investigate Birdlife Australia (Wader Study Group) , Birds Queensland or Wader Quest amongst others.
