Shorebirds of NSW
The latest Shorebird Newsletter (March 2007) is now available to download as a pdf file. This newsletter is published by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. It covers shorebirds of NSW and includes colour photos of some of the birds featured in the newsletter.
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Favourite Birding Spot #5 St Kilda
1 Comment »9th September, 2006; Category: Favourite Birding Spots, Herons and Egrets, Migratory birds, Pelicans, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Spoonbills, Stilts and Avocets, Waterbirds
Black-Winged Stilt
I have only recently visited St Kilda and Barker Inlet north of Adelaide for the first time, but already it is becoming a favourite birding spot of mine. Access to the area is very easy being just a few kilometers off the main highway heading north from Adelaide (the Port Wakefield road). There is a large car parking area, a large lawned picnic area, an interesting Adventure Playground (for the ankle biters – teens might even like it), a fast food outlet, boat ramp and a well kept clean public toilet block.
At low tide the tidal mudflats stretch for many kilometres along the coast. On top of the rock wall protecting the boat channel out to deeper water is an excellent walking path. This enables one to walk far out from the beach, perhaps nearly a kilometre. This allows one to get close to the birds feeding on the mudflats.
On my few visits I have observed many Black Winged Stilts (see photo above), Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers, Australian Pelicans, White Ibis, Great and Little Egrets, Black Swans and Royal Spoonbills. On my visits I have seen, far out from the shore, what looked like thousands of Grey Teal. I also recorded several Chestnut-Breasted Shelducks.
An added bonus for the birder at St Kilda is the Mangrove Boardwalk nearby. I have written about this here. Of course, my visits have been in early spring. I dare say, as the weeks progress, many migratory waders will arrive here for the summer months.
Related articles:
Updated Nov 2013.
Fat Sea Gulls
Silver Gull
In a recent report on ABC News it has been found that Silver Gulls are becoming overweight. Over the last two years University of Tasmania researcher Heidi Auman has been studying Silver Gulls in Hobart and on the Bass Strait islands. She has found that the city birds have a higher cholesterol as well as being overweight when compared to their island dwelling counterparts.
Poorer Breeding results
In addition to being fatter, the city dwellers are laying more eggs but there are less chicks surviving. The main reason for their unhealthy state is a poorer diet. The gulls are not getting the correct food as they scavenge rubbish tips – and get fed by people having picnics.
For more, click here. (Sorry – the link no longer works.)
Updated Nov 2013