Toorbul - the other day........

Bar-tailed Godwits - Bribie Island bridge in the background.

Rain had scared many away however a modest sized group made the journey to Toorbul and while there was, perhaps, a smaller than expected group of waders at the high tide roost - it was still very much a worthwhile morning.

Some of our non damp group

Whimbrel and the occasional Bar-tailed Godwit

It is like they say; a bad day in Torrbul is still a pretty good day. [I don't claim to know who they are..] As expected many of the migratory waders had begun moulting into their breeding finery; brick red Bar-tailed Godwits mingled with their non-breeding grey comrades, Grey-tailed Tattlers had begun barring up on their bellies, an almost solitary two Red-necked Stints proved that their name was not a lie nor an exaggeration, Great Knots were Great [Red Knots invisible], and Greenshanks were starting to change also. Whimbrels were there in good numbers while a fewer numbers of their longer billed cousins, Eastern Curlews added to our list.

Royal Spoonbill

Black-winged Stilts and Pelicans

Missing were Black-tailed Godwits or many of the smaller waders or plovers. Conspicuous by their [already] absence were Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.

Lone Chestnut Teal

Resident species; Pelicans, Black-winged Stilts, a lone Chestnut Teal plus a lazy 300 Black Swan were also seen as were the Mangrove treble; Gerygone, Honeyeater and Kingfisher.

Mangrove [or Collared] Kingfisher 

Mangrove Gerygone

Toorbul High Tide Roost, AU-QLD

Apr 4, 2015 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Protocol: Traveling

2.0 kilometer(s)

Comments:     overcast day

58 species

Black Swan  302

Chestnut Teal  1

Little Egret

Pied Cormorant  1

Little Pied Cormorant  1

Australian Pelican  20

White-faced Heron  4

Little Egret  8

Australian White Ibis  21

Royal Spoonbill  22

Whistling Kite  1

Brahminy Kite  2

White-bellied Sea-Eagle  1

Black-winged Stilt (Australian)  66

Australian Pied Oystercatcher  12

Masked Lapwing  12

Grey-tailed Tattler  144

Common Greenshank  12

Whimbrel  105

Eastern Curlew  5

Bar-tailed Godwit  120

Great Knot  8

Red-necked Stint  2

Silver Gull  6

Gull-billed Tern  1

Caspian Tern  4

Crested Tern  1

Spotted Dove  4

Crested Pigeon  4

Bar-shouldered Dove  2

Laughing Kookaburra  3

Collared Kingfisher  2

Sacred Kingfisher  1

Rainbow Bee-eater  8

Galah  3

Australian King-Parrot  2

Pale-headed Rosella  3

Rainbow Lorikeet  6

Lewin's Honeyeater  1

Mangrove Honeyeater  4

Noisy Miner  12

Brown Honeyeater  3

Blue-faced Honeyeater  6

Striated Pardalote  3

Mangrove Gerygone  2

White-breasted Woodswallow  6

Grey Butcherbird  2

Pied Butcherbird  6

Australian Magpie  10

Black-faced Cuckooshrike  1

Grey Shrike-Thrush  3

Golden Whistler  1

Rufous Whistler  1

Australasian Figbird  8

Willie Wagtail  6

Magpie-lark  6

Torresian Crow  8

Welcome Swallow  6

Mistletoebird  2

Photos taken on the day and supplied by John Thompson!