Soldier’s Point

Wandering Tattler

The Wandering Tattler is a vagrant in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and is uncommon in Australia, although it may sometimes be overlooked, partly because of confusion with the Grey-tailed Tattler. It breeds in Siberia, Alaska and north-west Canada. The non-breeding range is around the Pacific rim where it is generally found on rocky coasts with reefs and platforms feeding in shallow pools and along the tideline. A single bird has been reported here at Soldier’s Point on and off over the last couple of months,  with birds also reported at Long Reef and Newcastle Baths to the north and south.

Ruddy Turnstone

The Ruddy Turnstones are well advanced in donning their breeding plumage. They travel from their Arctic nesting grounds to coastal wintering grounds along the coastlines of every continent except Antarctica. One bird was recorded flying a 27,000 km round trip from Australia to Siberia - twice.

Pacific Golden Plover

The PGPs are only just starting to change into their spectacular breeding plumage – wish one would decide to stay, we never get to see full breeding plumage here.

The distribution of the Pacific Golden Plover is not fragmented, either in its breeding grounds or in its non-breeding areas. It breeds mostly in northern Siberia, between the Yamal Peninsula and the Chukotski Peninsula and the Gulf of Anadyr. In Australia most Pacific Golden Plovers occur along the east coast, and are especially widespread along the Queensland and NSW coastlines.

Curlew Sandpiper and Red-necked Stint

Both these birds are just starting to colour up. The breeding range of the Curlew Sandpiper is mainly restricted to the Arctic of northern Siberia. In Australia, Curlew Sandpipers occur around the coasts and are also quite widespread inland, though in smaller numbers. Many non-breeding one year old birds remain in Australia rather than migrating north during the southern winter.

The Red-necked Stint breeds in Siberia and sporadically in north and west Alaska. Unlike many of the other waders they migrate across the continent of Australia, and some first year birds move inland for the Australian winter.  Migration starts in the last week of March, with most birds leaving in April.