Lake McLarty & Nairns 28th Nov 2019

After finding out from last week's visit that water levels are now suitable for waders to feed, I'll try to visit the lake at least once a week from now on. As the water level drops, new feeding areas will open up and wader numbers can change quite dramatically in the space of a few days.

I arrived at 5:40am and was quite surprised that someone was already there, a fellow birder called Peter Morris, who I had never met before. He accompanied me for the first part of the walk and it was pleasant to chat about the lake, it's birds and the threats it faces.

Sharp-tailed Sandpipers with Long-toed Stints, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers in the background

Pectoral Sandpiper

In terms of birds, there was noticeable increase in Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Pectoral Sandpipers compared to last week and Long-toed Stints had finally arrived (11+) and they and a single Wood Sandpiper were feeding in the flooded grassy areas. 

Long-toed Stint in flight

A flock of 11 Marsh Sandpipers were also a nice addition to the bird list. Being diminutive, pale grey and not very vocal, they can be easily overlooked.

waders in flight including Marsh Sandpipers

From Lake McLarty I drove the half an hour to Nairns, this a small reserve on the shore of the Peel Inlet. It can be a very hit or miss type of place. Often you get there and someone has been walking their dog through the reserve (even though it is not allowed) and there will be zero waders present. This visit though I hit the jackpot, there were literally hundreds of waders spread across the exposed mud. The birds were flighty and difficult to search through as they frequently took flight. I spent about an hour and half searching through the birds, a Little Stint stood out amongst the over a thousand Red-necked Stints, A conspicuously white Sanderling was also a nice find. 

Sanderling

I had a frustratingly brief view of what was highly likely to have been an Asian Dowitcher but the flock was spooked and I was never to see the bird again. All up there was somewhere in the region of 2,500 shorebirds, including Great and Red Knots, Curlew Sandpipers, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints & Red-capped Plover. I counted it as a brilliant morning of wader watching!

Great Knot with breakfast

My McLarty ebird checklist

My Nairns ebird checklist