One of the most fascinating of bird events happens, like clockwork, every year around Australia’s beaches and inlets.
The migration of waders or shore-birds.
Port Philip Bay becomes a haven for them over our summer as they fatten up for the long haul to Siberia. 9,000-10,000 kilometres. One way!
The western side of Port Philip Bay is also home to the Western Treatment Plant, and for over a 100 years the plant has been discharging nutriment rich water into the bay. The long shallow mudflats and sandbars make it easy for feeding as the water in some places at a Spring tide may recede over 200metres. It is not usual to see the entire mudflats shimmering with little grey feathers soaking up as much as they can eat.
Sharptailed Sandpipers are the largest group, also Red-necked Stints and Curlew Sandpipers. The Curlews are in decline as the flyway feeding grounds have been claimed for other uses by humans and the birds find it hard to locate sufficient food sources.
It was once said among the birding population I knew, “If there is a wader on the shore and you call, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, you have a 78% chance of being right as about 78% of the waders are Sharpies.
A tiny Red-necked Stint arrives in October/November after its flight in from Siberia, it may weigh as much as 20gm—a small handful of jelly beans. By end of season and ready to return they may be around—40gm Still not a big handful of jelly beans.
Their flight north is well known and a majority leave from the Broome area, zip over to the Philipines, a major stop over at the Paranaguá Estuary Complex, then to China, over the mountains and on to Siberia.
They mate, raise young and the adults leave around 2 weeks before the young for the return journey.
The young follow on, with no GPS, no Map, No Google Map, no Whereis or any of the other “must have app” applications. They simply follow the parents journey.
I came across some time back a great descripition of the migration of Swallows by a noted 1880s preacher. Sprugeon. There is something quite lyrical and lucid about his explanation. I hope you enjoy it.
But these birds know when to come or go; they tell, by some mysterious means, exactly when to start on their long flight. They were never known to go too soon: they are never known to stay too late. The bulk of them depart at one period, and the rest a few days later. If we are living in the suburbs, we bear a twittering congregation gathering around the gables of the houses; and, in the evening, we miss the swift-winged hawkers who had, during the summer, found their evening meal among the dancing insects. Their shrill, joyous twitterings are hushed, for they have perceived that the heavy dews of autumn, and the long nights of winter, are coming to strew the earth with fading flowers and bailing leaves; and, by-and-by, with frost and snow; and, therefore, they have flown off to fairer lands where other summers await them. They will come back again in due time, true as the calendar. Whether we look for them, or not, they will be punctual to nature’s appointment. As sure as the summer’s sun will be their return. They know, without any special instruction, when to come, and when to go.
Charles Spurgeon
We were at the WTP and the Sandpipers were putting on quite the show of murmuration. Big bold patches of black swept across the sky, constantly changing shape and pattern and each bird familiar with its flight path.
After some minutes the game was over and they flew in and landed in the pondage in front of us.
This frame is about 1/10th of the number of birds. How they can fly in such tight formation is beyond thought. You might spot some Red-necked or Curlews in there as well.
Little birds, that with great determination and trust, set out on long journeys into the unkown, guided by instincts we can only guess at.
Truly Amazing
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 
Yes, the migration is truly amazing! The birds have an incredible knack for navigation!
And as you mention, they are so small!
A fine image of the flock in flight, David!
Dave N
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Thanks David.
The murmurations lasted around 10 mintues and several times they disappeared from sight. It was a real surprise and delight to have them drop into the pond closeby
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A lovely shot of the tightly packed group. The wind was so strong when we were at the WTP that hardly any birds were flying anywhere, but staying close to the ground. I need to go back on a better day.
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Hi Eleanor, was a bit intruiged to find them working as a flock so early in the season. They must have been out rounding everybody up as the tide washed over the feeding areas.
I have an unwritten law about WTP and wind. We stay home. Nothing worse than finding bird to photograph and not being able to get the door open because of the wind or getting struck on the shin as the door swings back full tilt.
But then its hard to predict any of the weather currently.
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Yes, lesson learned. I wouldn’t go there with strong wind again – we none of us realised how bad it would be.
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A wonderfully written and descriptive post David of the great migration. Spurgeon had an almost poetic description of this amazing yearly event, as was his style as the much loved ‘People’s Preacher’. Love your shots of the flocks in flight. These are the sort of shots one sees in Broome and sometimes near Sandgate bar in Newcastle, but I have not seen any for a while. Loved your narrative, it is sad to see them suffering on their return journet due to loss of feeding habitat.
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Hello Ashley, don’t normally see them in great flocks this early in the season so that was interesing.
I came across Spurgeon when I was doing a research project on hand type setting (I feel a blog coming on) The printer of his books was a company called Passmore & Alabaster. The interest I had was the way the texts were laid out, the superb job of setting each page by hand and maintaining that lovely late 1800s writing style. I did find later that John Passmore was a member of Spurgeon’s church.
So many little anecdotes about the quality of printing which the artisans of the time were able to produce, that today, is noticable by its absence.
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Thanks David for the interesting information on Spurgeon and his publisher. I have read several of Spurgeons works in my younger years, and he was a favourite of mine. You have an interesting history 😊
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Thanks David….am enjoying these Saturday evening posts.
Clancy
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All good Clancy, thanks for the encouragement.
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I’ve known the “story” of this amazing twice-yearly migration for some time, but it never-the-less never ceases to amaze me whenever I read of it again! A well-written presentation thanks David, and the photo of the Sandpipers coming into land after their murmuration is superb; thanks for sharing it…!
Within the next 6 to 8 weeks, New Zealand will farewell its own wading birds – in particular Red Knots and Bar-Tailed Godwits – and those birds will join their Australian ‘cousins’ on the long journey north! That these birds can fly so far without the help of either a paper map or GPS system is truly amazing – surely one of the great wonders of the world…!
We will probably never fully understand how these birds manage such feats, but we can certainly admire their amazing “stickability” that allows them to make such journeys; thanks for highlighting the impending flights of the Sharptailed Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints and Curlew Sandpipers…!
Warmest best wishes…
Lance
Wellington NZ
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