Looking for a Long-Toed Stint

At the end of February a Long-toed Stint was spotted at Seaford Swamp by Sean Dooley and Andrew Silcocks on a Birdlife survey. I'd been hoping to see one of these little guys. I'd learnt at different wader ID things that they look like mini Sharpies - sounds cute and like a wader I could probably indentify!

That sighting was on a Wednesday, and for the rest of the week there were reports of not just one, but two LTS at the site. However reports were also that the little remaining water in the swamp was drying out quickly... eep!

Yep, pretty dry!

Luckily when I got down there the following Sunday I found that the small remnant of water was still there amongst the reeds.

a hidden oasis

Unluckily though all wading birds were all the way at the far end... 

With the binoculars the Red-kneed Dotterels were pretty obvious, and through the scope I could see quite a few Red-necked Stints. One did seem to have noticeably different plumage and when it finally ran out across the open water I could also make out the yellow legs of a Long-toed Stint - yay, lifer!

Unfortunately it was running out across the open water to go hide in the reeds on the other side with the other Stints and Dotterels.

it may or may not be in this photo

I entertained myself phonescoping Royal Spoonbills and their White Ibis friend while I waited for the waders to come out again.

Royal Spoonbill x 1

Royal Spoonbill x 2

Royal Spoonbill x 3 + Ibis

They didn't come out again. So although they were distant views I had technically seen the LTS and decided to call it a success and head home.

a Black-fronted Dotterel that was not in hiding, and on my side of the water

But, turns out the LTS didn't go too far once the water at Seaford did dry out, and it turned up about a month later at Braeside Park. (At least I'm assuming it's one of the same birds.)

pretty dry at Braeside too

On Easter Sunday I went to have a look. But despite pretty regular reports up until the day before it wasn't in its usual location on Sunday morning, and couldn't be found elsewhere in the wetlands by any of the birders looking.

That's ok! I was pretty happy to hear and then get a brief glimpse of a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater I'd seen reported on eBird, and later I did a circuit of the wetlands with Leigh and his dad.

lots of nice birds around, like this male Blue-billed Duck

And when we got back to the LTS spot one of the Sharp-tailed Sandpipers that were there turned out to be a Pectoral Sandpiper. I'd only seen this species quite briefly once before and am not at all confident in picking them out from Sharpies, so thanks to the keen-eyed birders who noticed this!

Sharpie, Pec, headless Sharpie

It was great to be able to observe this bird close up side-by-side with the Sharpies which will hopefully help my sort out my sandpipers in the future. And these waders also kindly alerted us two Little Eagles that were circling overhead.

eagle spotting

I somehow ended up with a list of 67 species for the morning - awesome!

But the LTS was not one of them. And the next morning, of course, it was being seen again. So... back to Braeside!

more Sandpipers for Easter Monday

I arrived in the afternoon and was greeted by the news from other birders already there that the LTS had just flown away... But luckily it hadn't gone far and we managed to refind it a little further out on the mud.

Hello, Long-toed Stint!

with a Red-Kneed Dotterel and random plant for scale

This time it was close enough to better appreciate its Sharpie-like features and for a bit of phonescoping. That is, when the Red-kneed Dotterels weren't harassing it and chasing it off.

haters gonna hate

It was cool to finally able to catch up with this sweet little wader, and some other birders, in the afternoon sun at Braeside.

fueling up for a long flight

The Long-toed Stint was still the hanging out there until at least April 13. But it could be (or should be!?) somewhere on its way to Siberia by now. Or the Arctic or central Asia, according to my shorebird book. Hopefully the little guy makes it.

Anyway, that's a long post about a little bird. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!