Yesterday I headed north to check out Bald Hill Beach for migrant waders. Unfortunately, the armaments testing range was active so the road was closed. Plan B was to visit the boat ramp and seasonal wetland at nearby Port Wakefield.
The tide was just ebbing as I got there, and I soon found a Common Sandpiper fossiking along the exposed mangrove margins. There was also a single Black-tailed Nativehen there - not something I expected - they usually prefer fresh water. There was a Spotted Dove perched on the railing, and as I was leaving I heard the strident call of a Sacred Kingfisher perched in the mangroves. In the town were plenty of White Ibis, and a single Masked Lapwing.
At first glance, the wetlands was fairly quiet, so I settled myself down in the samphire and waited. Soon, an immature then an adult Red-necked Avocet came within range, followed by White-headed Stilt and Red-kneed Dotterel.
Then some smaller waders appeared from the other direction, a migrant Red-necked Stint, and a pair of resident Red-capped Plovers, first the bright male, and then the female.
I headed back through the backroads of the Adelaide Plains, stopping for a couple of Brown Falcons, an older lighter bird, and then a darker bird that I thought might have been a Black Falcon. At another stop I heard and soon tracked down a Brown Treecreeper.
I also spotted my first Bearded Dragon of the summer, warming on a concrete fence post.
When I got back from Gluepot, I had enough time for a short visit to the St. Kilda Saltfields. It wasn't the best time of day, low tide and in the heat of the day, but I still hoped to see a few waders (Shorebirds). I was surprised to find I was first in, and once again disturbed the cormorant roost. these are mainly Little Black Cormorants.
As I made my way along the main track, I started seeing all of the usual waders. There were plenty of visiting Common Greenshanks and also a few resident White-headed Stilts
There is one spot that is a favourite of Terek Sandpiper, and true to form, one was there accompanied by the only Banded Stilt I saw.
This pair amused me, and I just had to get a photo of them. The size differential is amazing. This is Masked Lapwing and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
On one of the main evaporation ponds there was a real commotion as Royal spoonbills and Little egrets fought over a very localised food source.
A little further on, there is a freshwater stream that bisects the saltfields. From the bridge I saw a feeding group of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints. These two species are by far the most numerous summer visitors here.
Whether it was the heat, or the fact that they were resting, some of the birds were very confiding. So using the car as a hide I managed to get close to three species that are normally pretty timid, so I'll finish with a few studies of them starting with Red-capped Plover, one of our common resident waders.
Next is the Red-necked Stint.
And finally Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
