You may recall that I first found the Lathams Snipe, a threatened species of shorebird in March 2018 in this small local wetland. After our first official count in September 2020, 34 birds were counted, making the area a significant habitat for the species.

Saturday was the final National Snipe Count for the season and two of us counted 9 birds, similar to the last count in December.

One night in December, we watched and counted the birds leaving at dusk. It was a magical experience to hear their distinctive call and watch them fly off into the night sky. We were trying to work out their direction. The birds leave the wetlands at dusk each night to feed elsewhere and return at dawn. We are yet to find their night feeding grounds.

The Snipe Project, responsible co-ordinating the counts and research were expecting potentially poor results after the >40% decline in snipe numbers was detected during the Japanese breeding ground surveys in May. However, the September results were quite good with 24 new sites, including my site. The overall results are not yet available. However it is possible that as most of these sites surveyed are in urban areas, they may not reflect decline experienced in other sites that have been impacted by fire and drought.

I am quite chuffed that a number of my Snipe images now grace the Snipe Project website!

There is some wonderful information here about Snipe, their threats and conservation.

lathamssnipeproject.wordpress.com/

I am really going to miss them when they leave in the next month or so and wish them well on their heroic journey. I hope there is somewhere safe for them to land.

Tags:   Craigeburn January 23 Wetland count Snipe bird Australian Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii Latham's Snipe Project

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Well the hysteria was all mine!

You may recall from a few days back my post about finding the Latham's Snipe in a little local wetland. I did a count for them as part of the Latham's Snipe project where they monitor numbers across their range in Victoria on specific days. I thought there may have been at least 2 birds.

We counted close to 30!

It was a very exciting find. Sites that have around 20 are considered Significant Sites under our Federal Legislation (Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) which lends its weight to the conversation of this area if was ever threatened by development.

These birds are so hard to photograph. They can be 10 m in front of you and you can't see them until they flush out of the ground and fly away very fast.

The above image was taken after the count and is of two birds that I put into the one image so you can get a reasonable look at them.

Only one snake that the Sherpa almost stood on.

Ridiculous how such an encounter can bring so much excitement to a bird nerd. But still in lockdown (though I can smell freedom in the air-well done Melbournians) I will take all the excitement I can get.

Tags:   Lathams Snipe bird threatened Bird wetland Nikon D500 flight shorebird migratory Gallinago hardwickii on the wing

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You may recall from a few posts back my excitement at finding a large colony of this migratory bird (Lathams Snipe) close to home. The numbers encountered make this a significant site under our Federal Conservation Act.

My timing couldn't have been better.

I am pleased to say that after notifying the Biodiversity team at our local Council, they were as excited as I was. This area is partially protected due to the presence of a threatened grass species, otherwise it would already have been developed. However, some major developments of the site are about to occur. Literally!

Within a few days of me notifying them, emergency meetings have been called with all the relevant partners and they are all very supportive of promoting and protected this bird and its habitat.

From one little observation by an overexcited birdie nerd who was at the right place at the right time, hopefully the next time this colony of migratory birds make the exhausting journey to fly 20,000 km from Siberia through Japan and back to this tiny little wetland, it will still be here for them.

I don't know about you but I was in need of a good news story. Hope this one makes you feel good too.

Tags:   Lathams Snipe bird Snipe Nikon D500 Wetland Gallinago hardwicki Migratory Bird threatened Bird

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I first found the Lathams Snipe, a threatened species of shorebird in March 2018 in this small local wetland. It was the first record for this suburb though no doubt they have been here for a long time but are very difficult to see and photograph. They hide amongst the reeds and you usually don’t see them unless you flush them out. Most people would walk right past this little spot. Lots of reeds and weeds around the edges nothing too special but it I have recorded three threatened species there.

This wetland is currently within a green corridor although there has been a lot of development of the surrounding area and some damming of the waterway further north.

It just blows me away that these migratory shorebirds breed in Japan and south-east Siberia and then head back to spend the non-breeding season in eastern Australia (August to February). They often return to the same location, in this case, an innocuous wetland around 70 x 50 m. Recent tracking of several birds have found that they can travel at least 19,000 km on their journey.

It was a very special bird to welcome me on my first foray out with the camera (we still are required to stay within 5 km of home with a 2 hour limit on recreation activities so I am very limited (but thankful nonetheless).

Thanks to David www.flickr.com/photos/birdsaspoetry/ spotting a Snipe near his home, which reminded me to check for this bird.

I have been asked to do a Snipe count there on Saturday as it is Snipe survey day! A teeny, tiny bit scared of walking through the reeds ;-)

Tags:   Cascade Terrace Craigieburn Lake Lathams Snipe September 2020 bird Gallinago hardwickii

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I have missed you all during my absence from Flickr and thanks to all those lovelies who asked after my well being. I have had a series of illnesses but am so grateful, despite a scare, that they have not been serious. The last was surgery for kidney stones and then a painful recovery period which I am just about over. However, it all seems to have left me with a feeling of loss of confidence or sparkle or something and every image I have looked at to put up, I have found wanting.

I have chosen this one to try to make a return to Flickr, even though it is not a good image, but rather the subject matter-the Lathams Snipe, that is special. This is the same bird (presumably) that I recorded in March in a small wetland in my local area and was the first recording for this species here. Since that time, it has flown to Japan to breed and arrived back to Australia, a few weeks ago to exactly the same tiny wetland. Migratory birds are indeed extraordinary.
I hope to catch up with you all over time. xxxx

Tags:   Craigieburn Lathams Snipe bird snipe wader Australian Bird threatened bird

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