06-29-2017, 02:37 AM
Stockyard Point has been put on the map over the past week thanks to an initial sighting of a vagrant South Island Pied Oystercatcher, followed by an even rarer sighting of a Little stint.
It's been going off with people coming from all over the country to get a tick. I met a man yesterday who had just driven from Sydney.
The SIPO is endemic to New Zealand, but sometimes makes it across the ditch to eastern Australia. It can be hard to spot because they look very similar to our pied oystercatchers, but this particular bird is banded and was seen in Ballina, NSW, earlier this year. So the birds done a fair bit of traveling. I didn't see it yesterday so I plan to go back and have another go.
The little stint is even cooler, it's not supposed to be here at all. It currently should be breeding in the arctic. It has its lovely red breeding plumage, which is extra special because we rarely see waders with breeding plumage here because they don't breed here! Pretty pleased I got to see it yesterday. It is a tiny, tiny bird. Think roughly the size of your hand. Incredible to think it's traveled so far.
A few other notable sightings for the spot this week include terek sandpipers, asian gull-billed tern, double banded plovers, eastern curlews.
It's the place to be at the moment!
It's been going off with people coming from all over the country to get a tick. I met a man yesterday who had just driven from Sydney.
The SIPO is endemic to New Zealand, but sometimes makes it across the ditch to eastern Australia. It can be hard to spot because they look very similar to our pied oystercatchers, but this particular bird is banded and was seen in Ballina, NSW, earlier this year. So the birds done a fair bit of traveling. I didn't see it yesterday so I plan to go back and have another go.
The little stint is even cooler, it's not supposed to be here at all. It currently should be breeding in the arctic. It has its lovely red breeding plumage, which is extra special because we rarely see waders with breeding plumage here because they don't breed here! Pretty pleased I got to see it yesterday. It is a tiny, tiny bird. Think roughly the size of your hand. Incredible to think it's traveled so far.
A few other notable sightings for the spot this week include terek sandpipers, asian gull-billed tern, double banded plovers, eastern curlews.
It's the place to be at the moment!
