Ben Cruachan – natural history

With the migratory waders well and truly here, Peter and I checked out Lake Reeve yesterday. While driving down to Seaspray we were struck by the condition of the country, it looked like the end of a long hot dry summer rather than the middle of spring, the paddocks were parched and brown, and in one, sheep were trying to find a feed on ground as bare as a table top. In a word, grim. We were a bit apprehensive as we neared the western end of the lake, but it was holding water and we saw waders flying as soon as we got out of the vehicle. Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were along the edge, and in the distance there were good numbers with Red-necked Stints, a few Common Greenshank, and the odd Curlew Sandpiper, then a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit flew past us in a leisurely manner at close range, showing the tail barring to perfection. Black Swans with signets were numerous, and there were about twenty five elegant Black-winged Stilts feeding in the shallows.

A Willie Wagtail was giving two Pallid Cuckoos perched on the electricity cables a hard time as we turned on to the main road heading to our next stop, it was devoid of waders so we continued eastwards seeing lots of Grey Currawongs, two Echidnas waddling across the road, and no water, the lake was dry right through to the causeway at Loch Sport. The level there was low, and there was only a handfull of sharpies and stints, in contrast to last year when there were heaps of birds including many Great Knot. It was lunchtime by now but we decided to push on to the lookout in the National Park, and from there we could see good numbers of birds spread over a large area of shallows to the east. We took the scope down to the water’s edge for a closer look but they all seemed to be in the size range of the smaller sandpipers. A lone greenshank and some sharpies were feeding along the edge, the latter were quiet and allowed us to get close enough for a few photos.
Although the hunger pangs were making themselves felt we drove to land’s end at Point Wilson, and even then Peter wouldn’t let me have a feed until we had checked out the sand spit. There wasn’t the usual large congregation of birds, but there were some Bar-tailed Godwits, and at least they were having lunch, plunging their heads into the water feasting on a seafood menu.

I don’t know how many shots I fired off in bursts trying to get a decent one, but I reckon ninety percent of them turned out headless. Luckily there was one taking it easy and it was kind enough to give me an opportunity a split second before it took off.

My final photo for the day was taken on the way back to the sandwiches and coffee, only a common old Silver Gull, but I think it was the nicest picture I took on a day that didn’t quite come up to expectations, but as always was still full of interest.

I’ll be putting some more pictures into an album soon and will post the link in the next blog.