No double-dipping

Now that migration has been going on for a while, the vagrants are turning up and finally last weekend the number of rarities within striking range reached critical mass and I was forced into action.

Return to Old Bar

Reports from two familiar sites between 4-5 hours north of Sydney had indicated 4 possible ticks for the list and so we headed out on Saturday to the sand-flats at Old Bar. This is where I twitched the Aleutian Terns last summer but this time, after wading out across the shallow water and being careful not to stand on the stingrays, there was no bird in sight. A helpful returning birder happily informed us that he'd just photographed it half an hour before. Gripped!

Nothing unusual at Jerseyville

Next morning I dropped Emily off in Port Macquarie and headed further north to what used to be a damp field at Jerseyville where I actually twitched a Lesser Yellowlegs years and years ago. The place has been completely changed since then and is now a conserved and maintained wetland with a bird hide and apparently a Buff-breasted Sandpiper, a Broad-billed Sandpiper, and a Ruff. I searched the various ponds for a few hours with no joy and had to give up and return south. Double-dipped!

Blue Soldier Crabs

There was still a bit of time and so a chance back at Old Bar on the way home and much to my relief the Little Stint #501 was running about in the exact spot that we'd searched the day before. And so a successful trip in the end with the three possible ticks up in Jerseyville seemingly moved on as no-one has seen any of them since.

Little Stint

If nothing else happens over the next week or so and I don't get another post out,

Merry Christmas to you all!