Royal Spoonbill in Shoal

I had been tipped off that 4 Royal Spoonbill had been seen in Shoal bay feeding in the estuary about two hours before high tide so I have been looking out for them. Today was a 3.5 metre high tide and so I was checking out the usual high tide roosts that I like to keep an eye on to monitor shorebird numbers.

Pied stilt are plentiful at the present time and South island pied oystercatchers. However just  a sprinkling of wrybill and banded dotterel so far this season.

 At my last shell bank count this morning I was pleased to see a solitary Royal Spoonbill alongside 99 pied stilt and 23 bar-tailed godwit bracing against a stiff southerly. Some of the pied stilts were sheltering behind a few mangroves but the spoonbill was still with head tucked most of the time  to withstand the breeze.

Royal Spoonbill with Pied Stilt sheltering from the breeze.

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