Large numbers of birds have gathered this week at Flat Rock in Ballina, north New South Wales. Terns and Silver Gulls made up most of the gathering (terns were between two and three hundred in total) but there were also a number of other birds of interest to see, no doubt displaced by last weeks cyclone.
In March the Greater Sand Plover is donning its breeding colours before making its departure to Siberia. An unusual bird to see here; just this single bird present on Flat Rock.
There were about fifty Pacific Golden Plovers mixing it with the terns, here seen with Common Terns and Little Terns, and Crested Terns which made up the largest group of the terns present.
In amongst the terns was this solitary White-winged Black Tern, also an uncommon visitor to Flat Rock Ballina despite its wide range across eastern and northern Australia. This immature bird is sporting the famous “head-phones” quoted to identify this bird.
A group of about twenty of the Pacific Golden Plovers takes flight; a novel sight.
I saw only three Ruddy Turnstones, this one looking decidedly worse for wear, perhaps having a rough time in the recent cyclone.
There seemed to be plenty to eat, but only a few birds fishing at the time of my visit (just before low tide).
Flat Rock is a good place to find a Wandering Tattler, its Alaskan/north Russian origin a reminder of the vast distances travelled by some visitors to rocky outcrops like Flat Rock