Friday 2 July 2010

Holden Creek Peep Show

To celebrate Canada Day, I popped down to Holden Creek yesterday where the semi-palmated sandpiper was still hanging around with the least and western sandpipers.
Though, the numbers were significantly lower than yesterday, particularly regarding westerns which had gone down to about 8 birds, while leasts had increased to 19. 3 killdeer, and adult & 2 juvs, were on the creek. I counted more mosquito bites than birds...
A mink put in an appearance as it hunted along the creek.
Later I finally bagged a year-tick in the form of a common nighthawk which came low over us, while it was hawking the fields as we walked home from the Crow & Gate pub at 9.30ish. It was joined by a second bird, and they flopped overhead, showing well. Nice.

This evening (having doused myself in repellent) I went down to the creek after work. Once again, the number of waders had changed and there were around 70 least sandpipers feeding along the creek edge. 10 westerns were still present and a second semi-palmated sandpiper had arrived. Both birds are pictured above (the image on the left also shows a least sandpiper).
They are actually adults, as can be clearly seen now I bother to look properly... thanks to those who pointed this out!
And I only got bitten once, and there were bloody loads of mozzies about! Whoo-hoo!


And I couldn't resist getting some digi-scopey-film of one of the resident red-tailed hawks as it whined from one of the dead trees by the creek.
   

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