Trip Report

Manawatu Estuary – 19 February 2003

A visit to the estuary at midday today produced a good variety of waders and some absolutely fantastic breeding plumaged waders. The number of bar-tailed godwit and red knot coming into breeding plumages was just amazing with some really BRIGHT individuals. Due mainly to a huge tide, I managed to get pretty close to the flock and get some great photos – click here to see them.

Small flock of white-fronted terns on the beach at the start of the spit about 1100 produced no little tern, but apparently it was there later. Good numbers of godwit (one orange-flagged bird seen) and knot (at least two orange-flagged birds), just over 30 wrybill in total, 4 sharp-tailed sands, and at least 1 probably 2 curlew sands and three golden plover (expected more with such a high tide). The tide had been at its fullest for sometime, when a pectoral sand and a turnstone flew in from who knows where – there can’t have been any mud exposed for a long time! No sign of the red-necked stint.

So, a great flock of birds!

Birds seen –

Bar-tailed godwit c. 150
Red knot c. 200+
Wrybill 31
Golden plover 3
Banded dotterel c. 15
Curlew sandpiper 1+
Sharp-tailed sandpiper 4
Pectoral sandpiper 1
Turnstone 1
Pied stilt c. 120
Spur-winged plover
South Island oystercatcher c. 35
Variable oystercatcher 2
White-faced heron 1
Red-billed gulls

BRENT