Strange Sharp-tailed Sandpiper at WTP Werribee

Yesterday (30/3) we went to the WTP at Werribee for a final look at the waders before the last of them fly off to their breeding grounds in Siberia. As we thought, most of them had gone but we did come across one very odd looking Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. The bird had all the feathers on its neck raised in a huge ruff and the neck was extended well over twice its normal length. A friend suggested that the appearance was that one sharpie had flown up the backside of another.

Our first thought was that the bird was sick, then it was suggested that it was actually a Ruff going into breeding plumage (personally I was plugging for a new species; Spry's Sandpiper (SMILE)). The "Ruff" idea gained credence because a Reeve was on the pond and someone said a Ruff had been seen earlier in the year.

Back at home I sent the images off to some local experts and they even sent the photos off to Russia for an opinion - isn't email wonderful. The unanimous consensus is that the bird is definitely a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper that is not well. The reply from Russia suggested that it looked similar to a bird displaying; "Its appearance does look as a male posture during a territorial display on breeding grounds (a bird occasionally takes such or very similar posture while standing on a hummock on its breeding territory)." He added that he also thought the bird looked unwell.

Re-enforcing the probability that the bird is not well is that the bird was "locked" in the pose for the whole time we watched it, probably over half an hour. It snoozed in this position, looked around and walked. Eventually it and the 6 or 7 other Sharpies with it flew off but sadly we were all looking the wrong way so I do not know it relaxed to normal before flying or not.

Orbost and Cape Conran National Park

In Victoria the Labour Day long weekend in March is the accepted end of the summer holiday period. People pack their cars and caravans and head for the coast for one final fling in the surf and lakes, and this year we joined in and headed for the Cape Conran National Park, a large coastal park in East Gippsland. For many years now we have done this trip on a long weekend in January but this year in January the Princes Highway was closed by bushfires.

Cape Conran area. Yeerung River is the small river to the right of the cape.

As usual we booked into the Countryman Motel in Orbost from where we have easy access to many great birding places, as well as a selection of cafes and hotels for food. We have been doing this trip for so long now we don't even have to do much planning, we now know where the best birding spots are and what time of day we should be there.

Early morning over the Snowy River plains, south of Orbost

Morning mist over the Orbost sale yards

This year was a bit different though, a Beach Stone-curlew had been seen at Marlo, near the mouth of the Snowy River. This is a notable bird in Vic because they normally don't come south of the north coast of New South Wales. There are a few historic reports of birds on the NSW south coast and even a few on the coast of far-east Vic. However, for some reason known only to Beach Stone-curlews this year there are two in Vic; one on Cape Otway to the south-west of Melbourne and the one at Marlo, south of Orbost. They are a very striking bird and I have heard them described as something Walt Disney could have designed.

Beach Stone-curlew. When we first saw it it was sitting behind the log

A friend in Marlo had given us good directions so as soon as we arrived on Saturday it was "off to the beach", not with bathers and towels but with binoculars and cameras. I am not fond of the beach because beaches have too much sand and it gets in your bathers, and it sticks to your feet and makes walking uncomfortable. This was an important bird though and I had to make an exception, so I ignored the sand in my shoes as we crossed the beach and willingly waded out into the calf-deep water to cross the lagoon to where the stone-curlew had been seen. It was not easy to find because, despite being a large bird, it liked to rest in the tangle of driftwood and until one got quite close it just sat hidden. We did find it and I quickly forgot the discomfort of wet, sandy feet.

Beach Stone-curlew

Mouth of the Snowy River

Once the stone-curlew was safely ticked off we settled into our normal routine. The East Cape boat launching ramp is the place to go for Pilotbirds. All you have to do is walk around the carpark and they dance all over your toes (if you are lucky, smile). It is also good for Eastern Whipbirds and sea birds. Get there early though because the car park fills quickly with cars and boat trailers and people.

Pilotbird displaying

Pilotbird displaying

Pilotbird in full song

A bit further up the road is the Yeerung River and the little bridge that crosses it. Here we know we can always find Southern Emu-wrens and Beautiful Firetails. Just over the bridge is a track that follows the river down to the ocean and it is a good walk for Crescent Honeyeaters, Bassian Thrush and "little brown birds".

Beautiful Firetail

This year we came around a corner and found a Tree Goanna (Varanus varius) sunning against a tree trunk. They are also called Lace Monitors which I think is a much nicer name but then lace is a delicate fabric and these guys are certainly not delicate. We often see them on this track but this one was a monster! By doing a bit of rough measuring and estimating this particular monitor, from the tip of its very big nose to the tip of its tail was over 2 metres (6 foot 6 inches) long. Yep, its the size of a small tree, so maybe Tree Goanna is right after all.

Tree Goanna on a dead banksia trunk

Portrait

Heathland at Yeerung River where Beautiful Firetails and Southern Emu-wrens can be found

On the banks of the Snowy River back up in Orbost we found a smaller, but still large, Eastern Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii). The field guide says they grow to 25 cm (10 inches) not counting the tail but one we saw looked much longer than that, maybe just because the tail is so long and thick.

Young Eastern Water Dragon

Adult Eastern Water Dragon

Another favourite spot is the Cabbage Tree Palms Reserve, just north of Cape Conran. It is not large but it is a relatively undisturbed area of coastal rain forest with a creek running through it. Platypus live in the creek and Azure Kingfishers are sometimes seen on the overhanging branches. I find these diminutive birds a very pleasurable challenge because they can be very hard to see, despite their bright colouring, and will usually flash away as soon as I get my binoculars on them. We actually found them at three spots this trip, once in a pond where the Marlo Rd goes under the highway, once on the Yeerung River and once at Cabbage Tree Palms Reserve.

Azure Kingfisher at Cabbage Tree Palms reserve

Azure Kingfisher. On of the smallest Kingfishers at 16 - 19 cm

The other end of the Kingfisher scale. Laughing Kookaburra at 40 - 48 cm

Lyrebirds are a regular at the reserve as well as Large-billed Scrub-wrens, Brown Gerygone, Rufous Fantails, Eastern Whipbird and so many more. The mosquitoes, bush-ticks and leeches also love his area so if you are tempted to squat or lie down for a better look at a bird do make sure you check yourself over for unwanted passengers. The leeches make themselves known fairly quickly, and sometimes messily, but the ticks can be smaller than a pin head so make sure you check carefully as you put your pyjamas on. This is a good spot for lunch in summer as you can get some shade and the sun penetrates through the rain forest and makes the smaller birds easier to see. There are no toilets but the tables in the clearing are a great spot to sit and look for birds in the tree tops, like Topknot Pigeons and King Parrots.

Male Superb Lyrebirds crossing the path at Cabbage Tree Palms Reserve

The lighting was not good but this shows the length of the tail and the two feathers that make the outer edge of the lyre when in display. The bird in the foreground has them crossed, perhaps to protest them as he moves through thick under-growth.

Large-billed Scrub-wren

The Cape Conran area is also a wonderful place for night birds and White-throated Nightjar can sometimes be found along the Cape Conran Rd., but not on this trip unfortunately. By driving the Conran to Cabbage Tree Rd, the Old Coast Road and the Cabbage Tree Road while looking for eye-shine we did, however, find three species of forest loving owls; Sooty, Powerful and Masked.

Male Gang Gang Cockatoo

Female Gang Gang Cockatoo

After 3 days of birding I found 102 species, all within this one reasonably small area.

Reflections in the Yeerung River

Echidna crossing the road at East Cape

A side note to the weekend was the bushfires that started north of the Princes Highway in mid January. Fires are not uncommon in this area but this year's fires are bigger and in more inaccessible areas than normal and, after more than 2 months, they are still burning in some of the out of the way valleys east of the snowy river. They are not getting coverage in the Melbourne press anymore, possibly because "no lives or property are at risk", but the damage to wildlife and forests will be devastating. More than 170,000 hectares (420,000 acres) of forest have been burnt out and the largest area of burnt forest has a perimeter of over 840 kms.

Map showing areas burnt out in the 2014 fires

Volunteer firefighter's Base Camp at Newmerella on the Princes Highway, just west of Orbost

Tent accommodation at the Base Camp for the firefighters

Smoke haze hanging over Orbost and the hills of the Great Dividing Range

Young Australasian Darters at the nest, Orbost. The photo was taken in the morning and by the afternoon they had left the nest.

Male Australasian Darter

Gang Gang Cockatoos

Male Mistletoebird

White-throated Needletail over Cape Conran

Pair of White-throated Needletail in courtship flight. 

Pied Oyster-catchers. As they flew over the shallow water small fish were jumping in fear at the passing shadows on the water.

Fire damaged eucalypts regenerate by growing leaves and small branches from the trunk and main limbs. This and the next photo show regeneration of growth from fires in January 2011.

Fire damaged trees.

All images & text © Jenny Spry 

Gull-billed Tern affinis at Stockyard Point

I just had an email asking about how to get to "Stockyard Point" to see the affinis Gull-billed tern. "Stockyard Point" is very confusing because if you look at the maps you will see that "Stockyard Point" is on French Island.

Well, it seems that birders, and maybe others, have a different location and it is right across from the French Island Stockyard Point. On the maps it is called Jam Jerrup Point and you get there via Jam Jerrup off the Bass Highway.  

We went as the tide was coming in and got OK looks. Others went at high tide and got better looks but it seems you have to watch out for quicksand at high tide - keep off any sand where there is standing water. One birder tells off sinking up to his thighs and having to go down on hands and knees to crawl out. The walk from the car park to the point is about 600 metres each way.

From the car park we walked down onto the beach but it does seem that there is an inland track that parallels the beach and starts by the big green water tanks in the car park and might be easier walking but we did not try it.

Terns were coming in to rest and roost on the sandbanks marked at the bottom-left.  The 180 +/- Curlew were on the mud banks at bottom centre of the map but needed a scope to be seen properly. Map thanks to Google Earth.

The affinis tern is the one with the white head and black mark behind the eye. It was noticeably different to the other gulls and terns, even in flight.

affinis Gull-billed Tern.