Shore birds at Maaroom and more

Recently I self-isolated and went to the Maroom wader site. High tide was aprox: 11am and I arrived at 10am. It looked like it was going to rain, but it only sprinkled for 1 minute before clearing. There was a large mob of grey kangaroos in the picnic reserve. Nobody about so I set up my chair to wait near the tidal inlet to the northern end of the reserve.

 There were about 20 Pied Oyster catchers in front of me

Oyster Catchers

and, to the right, facing Fraser Island, was a large group of shore birds which looked to be settling down for a camp facing into the wind. 

Luckily, a juvenile White Bellied Sea Eagle flew over with 7 or 8 Eastern Curlew's surrounding it.

White-bellied Sea-eagle and Eastern Curlews 

This flushed the waders to do a quick circuit and return.

Waders in flight

To my left were about ten Red Capped Plovers skittling about on the mud flats

Red-capped plovers

I took photos of all the waders but because they were sleeping, it was hard to identify them.  There were mainly Bar-tailed Godwits with many in breeding plumage.

Bar-tailed Godwits

Caspian terns

                                         
                                           
There was also a group of approximately twelve Caspian Terns as well as many Great Knots and Red Knots.

Great Knots and Red Knnots

Some Red Knots inbreeding plumage

As a result of the high tide being late and quite a low tide, in comparison to recent ones, the birds stayed on the eastern beach.
 A Great Egret put in an appearance. A Mangrove Honey-eater searched for food in the low mangroves along the edge of the sand.  An Eastern Curlew surveyed the water's edge.

Great Egret

                                                       
                                                           

Mangrove Honeyeater

                                                           

Eastern Curlew

There were two pairs of Masked Lapwing Plovers and the noisiest couple had one chick, which they defended  vigorously.

Masked Lapwing

By 1pm, the tide was going out.  Everything was quiet so a trip to to Marybough seemed like a good idea.   Here I was in luck and recorded two butterflies, a Bordered Rustic and a Large Purple Line-Blue.
                                                               

Bordered Rustic

Large Purple Line-Blue

                                                   
On the return home via Marroom , I soon realized that the birds had dispersed out onto the mud flats.  As I turned to leave, a pair of Beach Stone-curlew's arrived. The perfect photo opportunity!

Beach Stone-Curlew

 A very satisfying finish to the day.

Contributor:  Cameron  Whiley