Bar-tailed Godwit

All posts tagged Bar-tailed Godwit

My wife and I have come to value the days we have together now that she works part time. We enjoy our birding dates more frequently. Last week we had two within a couple of days which allowed us to catch up with our riverside friends in our local Royal National Park (by the Hacking River) and also the waders at Dolls and Taren Point (by the Georges River). Above are the two kinds of Kingfisher we found alone along the Hacking River, and both birds were seen within minutes of each other, fishing the river.

Firstly we checked on the juvenile Sulphur-crested Cockatoo that I showcased last post, but the parent had left the baby alone, and was on the grass by the river with the many other Cockies and Little Corellas pulling up grass and grass roots, as they do at particular times with their sharp hooked beak. Little Corella pair for life and are one of the most playful birds I have seen.

My wife saw an Australasian Swamphen building its nest on top of a lily bed on the actual river itself. The bird was away gathering material when I photographed her nest.

Swamphen nest on lily pads

Swamphen nest on lily pads

Australasian Swamphen

Australasian Swamphen

Of course the Australian Wood Duck family were sharing the same area on the grass by the river, and the father attacked me and a Cockie when it seemed we were breaching its exclusion zone.

protective father wood duck

protective father wood duck

peacefully grazing by the river

peacefully grazing by the river

wood duck babies

wood duck babies

family peacefully resting by the river

family peacefully resting by the river

On the dried part of the river bank I noticed an immature Masked Lapwing trying to assess the food value of a stone, as its father looked on, wondering what it was doing. You will notice that the wattle on the immature bird has not fully developed as yet.

adult Masked Lapwing

adult Masked Lapwing

Immature Masked Lapwing

Immature Masked Lapwing

Just then I saw out of the corner of my bad eye a tiny bright blue blob on a dead branch projecting out of the river. My wife checked it out with her binos and I put it in my sights, it was the very elusive and human shy, Azure Kingfisher which works the river along with the many other species of waterbirds. It would dive super fast into the water returning to the same spot with a tiny fish.

It is an extremely fast flying bird and being so small is difficult to catch in flight.

Within a few minutes I sighted the larger cousin, the Sacred Kingfisher also fishing the river nearby. Notice the vertical elevating and dropping tail sequence which is a feature of many male birds when they wish to assert their territory and ward off intruders. Kookaburras (a Kingfisher by family) do the same.

fresh catch

fresh catch

tail down

tail down

tail up

tail up

tail down

tail down

tail up

tail up

As we followed the track along the river I was able to show my wife the Sacred Kingfisher nest that was high in a eucalypt tree which I found on a previous walk. It was a former arboreal termite nest which Kingfishers and Kookaburras use for their own nest, after punching holes in it with their large strong beaks, by flying at it repeatedly till they form a hole large enough for them to enter. I had wanted to show my wife and had hoped that we would see them coming and going from it, but not today. What we did see was a Kingfisher in a nearby tree sitting alone and calling.

arboreal termite nest

arboreal termite nest

Sacred Kingfisher calling

Sacred Kingfisher calling

As we walk further we heard nearby the loud call of the Eastern Whipbird male and female. Those who have purchased my book “What Bird Teach Us” will know how to detect both male and female calls, and their significance.

We continually peered into the dark forest undergrowth to catch a flash of this extremely elusive and fast low flying bird. As a novice birder years ago it was the most frustrating and difficult bird to actually photograph. I would spend hours right next to this bird but could not get a visible look, as it foraged underneath thick bushes, flicking up leaf litter in a similar way to other rainforest birds. The problem is that I am standing in the light, quite visible to him, and he in the dark can see me and leave without me knowing. In the first shot he is calling. Be aware when viewing the following photos that they have been lightened considerably and shot through a very small hole in the bush, so the quality suffered, but with this bird on most occasions, these captures are not too bad.

Male Eastern Whipbird

Male Eastern Whipbird

Whipbird foraging

more foraging

finally seen briefly in the light

Walking further, my wife sighted this Short-beaked Echidna (known to many as the Spiny Anteater) right beside the track. This shy monotreme seldom seen, was busy poking his nose into ant nests. This is the second time we have seen this little guy here. You can see why it can be difficult to spot.

Having checked out our riverside friends by the rainforest, a couple of days later we made our way to our favorite observation beach at low tide on the Georges River to visit our wader friends who were busily foraging. The adult Bar-tailed Godwit, now adorning their lighter non-breeding plumage were more conspicuous against the juveniles, who had joined them now the family was reunited after the recent return of their parents.

Non Breading plumage (foreground)

Non Breading plumage (foreground)

avoiding the larger crabs

avoiding the larger crabs

a younger Godwit

a younger Godwit

size comparison

size comparison

Godwits on the move

Godwits on the move

Light Blue Soldier Crabs

Light Blue Soldier Crabs

a swarm of crabs in military array

a swarm of crabs in military array

searching for smaller crabs

searching for smaller crabs

We were delighted to also see on the same beach this immature White-faced Heron alone and quite tame, possibly the offspring of the adult pair I saw last time I was on this beach.

We did not see the lone Eastern Curlew which frequents the beach, as many people were present, and the Curlew is extremely fearful of people, taking flight on even the furthermost approach. So we drove around the river to the Taren Point Shorebird Reserve where we sighted our shy Curlew friend poking its head and long beak deep into the wet sand, also seeking small crabs and worms. This the largest of our migratory waders and is in decline.

IMG_0497a

As we walked further around the river to the man made bird nesting island a fair way off from the shore, we noticed two broods of baby Silver Gull, at different stages of development. These photos have been heavily cropped. There was also a gull sitting on her nest, quietly anticipating her new family.

Mother & Father with chicks 2

Mother & Father with chicks 2

viewing across Botany Bay

viewing across Botany Bay

Silver Gull on nest

Silver Gull on nest

Mother and chicks 1

Mother and chicks 1

Lastly, we noticed this family of Welcome Swallow (endemic to Australia) feeding its youngsters. These birds get their name because no matter wherever you go in Australia, these birds will always be there to welcome you with their presence, as they forage on the fly. They are often the first bird you will see, and sometimes the only bird, since they eat flying insects, which are numerous everywhere, they do not require particular habitats as other birds do and can adapt to most conditions, providing they can access fresh water. They are often seen skimming into water to wash, drink and refresh in one rapid action. You will notice the juveniles lack the colouring of the adult on the right. A very pleasant walk together in the cool breeze on a hot afternoon.

adult Welcome Swallow feeding a juvenile

Welcome Swallow adult and two youngsters

Have a wonderful week my birding friends, and to those new to my blog and website, please feel free to explore it from the Menu or Home Page. You may find interesting birding tips and information that may help you enjoy life, gleaned from how birds do life.

Look no further for the unique and beautiful Christmas gift for your special loved one, that will continue to give…

Error
This video doesn’t exist

Welcome Swallow adult with two youngsters

Insects are a major food source for almost all bird species, and if birds ceased to exist, us humans would find life unbearable, due to the massive volumes they consume of what we term pests, some of which cause disease and death. Birds such as the Swallows, Swifts and Needle-tails basically spend their lives eating insects on the fly and seldom landing, which enables them to live almost anywhere they desire, though they prefer warmer moderate climates. Their focused commitment to their diet is inspiring as much as it is a blessing for us all. We can learn to be focused on what we are good at doing and be a blessing to others as well as ourselves, rather than spread ourselves out thinly trying many different ways and aspects of life, which give little return emotionally, relationally or physically.

Welcome Swallow flying

It is wise to consider the 80/20 principle which states many of us spend 80% of our time on 20% of activities that are not productive, which results in frustration and discouragement, when we could be spending 80% of our time and energy on the 20% that produces the highest results and satisfaction. An inspired and passionate person with little talent can succeed and do well because their energy and heart are poured into their focused goal, whereas, many more talented people give up and become discouraged because they fail to focus on what they have rather than on what they don’t.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” – Proverbs 11:25

W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

NOTE: All photos, videos and music used on this website are photographed, composed, performed by the site owner and remains his copyrighted property, unless otherwise stated. The use of any material that is not original material of the site owner is duly acknowledged as such. © W. A. Hewson 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

It has been lovely to have Spring rains again as the drought finally breaks and farmers rejoice, as do the birds as La Nina kicks in for our next weather period. It is also a joy for me to see the return of one of my favorite migratory birds, the Bar-tailed Godwit, featured in my book as the world’s most endurant bird. It has just returned from Alaska on its yearly 8 day non stop flight across the Pacific Ocean to Australia and New Zealand. You can see in the above photo how it gets its name. You may recall in June I found a small flock of young Godwits which chose not to do the 16,000 km flight in Autumn to the Alaskan breeding grounds, as they often do in their first couple of years. These are some of the ones that stayed back awaiting their parent’s return.

During the last six months, as a small flock, they have been growing together and will probably fly off with their parents in late March /early April via the Asian coastline, which is an easier flight for them. The immature birds are distinguishable by the more crisp contrasting patterning of their primary plumage. The mature Godwit has a much smoother looking primary plumage, with the female being slightly larger than the male. She also has a slightly longer beak. To the delight of my wife and I, our beach flock had increased to 21 birds, which would also now include the winter immatures rejoined by their parents.

Interesting was that the immatures remained foraging together while the adults remained together in two separate groups, which only came together when they felt threatened and about to leave the beach. Here are some shots of them foraging. Sadly it was quite overcast so the colours are a little bleak. Notice the impressive plumage of the immature as it stretches its wings.

This youngster was attempting to eat a crab which was a little larger than what it was used to.

picks up crab

tries to swallow it

It is always a delight to watch these birds fly. They are a very high flying bird when migrating, which allows them to catch the thermals and also cruise on the jet streams. Their very large wing span for their size assists them and like other migrating birds will use the V formation in small flocks, frequently changing position to help allay flight exhaustion. The bared tail is more conspicuous when they fly.

As usual the lone shy Eastern Curlew that also frequents our mudflats at low tide made a fast getaway and I was able to catch its departure thanks to my wife’s quick announcement. This is also normally a migratory bird but in recent years some of the birds have stayed over which might be connected with climate change and our not so cold winters. This guy is frequently found alone on this beach. As you can see it could easily be called an Eastern Bar-tailed Curlew.

This bird was well positioned for me to include Napoleon’s famous saying which is a great encouragement for us to bravely step up and use our resources and giftings for good and to bless others, for when we do we actually bless ourselves the more:

As we watched the Godwits we also were being watched by a pair of White-faced Heron. One was quite oblivious to our presence while the other kept staring at us with its stretched neck, which is a ploy of theirs and many long necked water birds when they feel threatened, to make them appear larger and thus deter the threat.

Lastly, before we went on our walk around the waterfront, we noticed this small flock of Australian White Ibis, classically a wetland wader, actually on the beach, near where the fresh water stream empties out. The reason I say this is because in the Second Edition of my book I describe them by the nickname they are called in Sydney, the Bin Chicken. Studies are being carried out as to why in the last 20 years these birds are breeding and increasing in number right on the busy streets of Sydney and its suburbs, having learnt to forage through garbage bins like Ravens. The councils have tried removing the palm fronds from the palms in the middle of the main roads where they nest, but they continue with much difficulty to breed there.

They do look stunning when they fly against a blue sky.

Next week I hope to complete our western road trip, which I chose to break from this week.

Have a wonderful week, especially those now released from lock-down. Don’t forget one of the best inexpensive gifts you can purchase for your young loved one for Christmas is available here online, and will positively build into their character to encourage them to make wise life choices for a happy and healthy life. You can also purchase it from these stores.

Again to my delight, one of the two immature Grey Butcherbird that my little friend Butch introduced me to a couple of years ago (the batch before the last), like his father has learned to trust me and visits me to sing and drink and bathe, and sometimes just watches me from a few feet away. I love that they know I am their friend. Importantly, I never feed Australian wild birds, provide water and protection. They are quite capable of finding food. He will become handsome grey and white like his dad in the next year or so as he matures and learns life skills to survive without the protection of the brown immature plumage.

They learn many different call combinations, but their laughing call is my favourite and makes me smile every time I hear it which is about 6 to 12 times a day, and often when the father sees me coming down the stairs as he views me from the native Casuarina tree nearby as he does here.

It is easy to miss out on so much going on around us with the distractions of our busy urban life, and sadly we all do at times, which is why Mindfulness has become the keyword in therapy to assist in lowering the level of stress we accumulate from worry about past and present unresolved issues as well as the over active mind facing burnout. Birding like other outdoor recreations, such as gardening and nature walks, helps reground us and clear our heads and emotions of clutter, refreshing and revitalizing one’s spirit. When my wife and I walk, even down the street or sit in our courtyard talking with friends our ears and eyes are acutely tuned in the surrounding environment that is unfolding around us. Friends often show amazement at how we can tune into sounds that they don’t even hear or notice, until we make them aware, they are oblivious. It is not that our hearing is better, it is just that we are living in the moment more fully, appreciating it with an attitude of gratitude, as these background sounds and vistas bring healing and refreshing delight and appreciation to our souls. The young Butcherbird above is part of God’s provision for my health, as are the other birds that come daily to visit, but only as I engage my mind to actively tune in to the present, will I avail myself of these benefits. I could have easily walked past this Eastern Water Dragon as many did without noticing it, before I reached its rock where it was sunning itself. This photo on canvas has always sold at art shows where I have entered it.

This is the fuller meaning to this passage from David’s Psalm 19:

“The heavens declare the glory of God;   the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;   night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,   their words to the ends of the world.”

I love being tuned into the the earth’s songs of praise and thanksgiving that are constantly occurring in the background of my daily life, it is so uplifting and restorative constantly making me mindful of how wonderful it all is.

W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

NOTE: All photos, videos and music used on this website are photographed, composed, performed by the site owner and remains his copyrighted property, unless otherwise stated. The use of any material that is not original material of the site owner is duly acknowledged as such. © W. A. Hewson 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

As we pass through the middle of our Winter, the cold dark mornings and evenings with it’s shorter days, I thought it time to go to the river mud flats to see the migratory waders who did not make their yearly 16,000 km flight to Alaska and Siberia back in April. Last year in our most devastating Summer, I found no migrants stay over, even the young ones flew. It is like they were warned to go, as the poisonous smoke from the bushfires lasted months here in Sydney.

It is worth noting that none of these Godwits show any breeding plumage, which means they are immature and not yet breeding age. It is customary for some Godwits, mostly younger ones, to miss migrating back their first year, it is fairly random. We found at least seven who stayed. They usually stay as a group, and an adult may also stay to keep watch, but not always. I found another two in a separate place across the bay, foraging together. Notice how they press their whole head into the moist sand as they hunt out tiny mud crabs and worms. The buff around their neck is also a sign of their immaturity, as is the dark primaries.

When one in the group has a catch, you often see them sleuth away to eat it, as the others can chase after them if they see they have scored. This is also a feature of the immature bird, looking for an easy feed or handout. Notice in the last frame, that these birds are smaller than the Silver Gull. The female is usually slightly larger and has a longer beak. Unlike their cousin the Black-tailed Godwit with its straight beak, their beak is slightly upturned.

I am grateful to my faithful blog followers who have already purchased my book. They will know this bird is famous for having the quality of Endurance. Flying 8 days non-stop from Alaska to Australia across the Pacific Ocean each Spring, when they will return to our shores with new young to enjoy our warmer weather and grace our river banks once again.

The Bar-tailed Godwit teaches Endurance

Also on the beach was this pair of Pied Oystercatcher. an endangered species in NSW due to the increase in 4WD vehicles being permitted on beaches where these birds breed, which is one of the crazy things our National Parks allow. Dogs and people are the other threats, as our state is the most populated, and the threat is greater. See how synchronized this pair are even in their flight.

One of them had some preening exercises which made some interesting shots.

Afterward, I headed out to see if the whales were active as they passed by our city. Most have already journeyed past in the last few weeks and only small pods of stragglers are left. While I saw no breaching I did see this pair staying close and synchronizing their moves. Sadly I missed a brilliant photo opportunity when both tails rose and slipped beneath the water at the same time. A similar synchrony to the Pied Oystercatcher above.

This what we saw last week when over 130 passed by in a day. This one was a fair way off…

The rugged sandstone cliffs near Botany Bay are the first sighting of Sydney travelers see when coming into Sydney airport.

Sandstone cliffs along Sydneys coastline

As we stood on Cape Banks, one of the best shoreline viewing points for whales on the north side of Botany Bay, we noticed the Australasian Gannet at work flying back and forth past the cape.

Cape Banks

At first we saw an immature Gannet and then captured the parent with its youngster together, which is a rare capture, as these birds are usually hunting alone.

You will notice the classic brown and speckled wing coloring of the immature, and the lack of the yellow head.

To my delight in the cold wind on top of the Cape, I turned to see this Nankeen Kestrel hovering and about to pounce on something, but caught view of me out of the corner of its eye and made its departure. It looked beautiful and in full colour against a blue cloudless Winter sky.

This bird is featured in my book for its Healthy Expectancy as it hovers over areas, and how we can learn to pursue healthy goals and wait for opportunity.

Another interesting synchrony of birds my wife and I witnessed while in Wagga Wagga last week was this small pod of Australian Pelican working in perfect synchrony together to fish the freshwater lake. My wife said it looked like a ballet.

Error

This video doesn’t exist

They would move and submerge their heads as one. Pelicans are known to fish in pod, similar to a pod of Dolphin. Usually they make a V formation and push the fish to the shoreline, which is shared in my book “What Birds Teach Us”

But here they display a different technique.

If you enjoyed this post and this is your first visit to this blog, why not become a follower and receive weekly emails of the latest post. You will not only learn more of the unusual behavioural characteristics of our beautiful and amazing Australian birds but also life lessons we can learn from them. Explore my website to find useful tips on birding and also lessons we can learn from birds.

It was so interesting and entertaining to watch the Pelicans work the lake (above) with such precise unity of function and purpose. We have heard the Covid catch-cry “We Are All In This Together” which actually means we can achieve success by us not physically getting together, but social distancing. Thus the meaning is in synchronizing the concept of doing together and not the act of being together. It is failure or refusal to recognize the difference that has been responsible for so many lives lost this year, and why Covid outbreaks occur in pockets in the community. The wonderful truth is that we can achieve great things together, without actually being physically in the same place, like the Pelicans. We can pray for those suffering, send financial help, encourage the anxious by making phone contact, assist elderly neighbors to get their needs, to name a few. But we are in synchrony of purpose: To stay safe, be safe for others and maintain hygiene vigilance. As a very wise man once said…

“Wisdom and good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 8:12 (Living Bible)

Enjoy your week and stay safe.

W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).

NOTE: All photos, videos and music used on this website are photographed, composed, performed by the site owner and remains his copyrighted property, unless otherwise stated. The use of any material that is not original material of the site owner is duly acknowledged as such. © W. A. Hewson 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

%d bloggers like this: