Beach Stone-curlew (Esacus magnirostris) with Soldier Crab ( Mictyris platycheles) Soldiers Point NSW

Beach Stone-curlew (Esacus magnirostris) with Soldier Crab ( Mictyris platycheles) Soldiers Point NSW
Canon EOS 7D Lens 400mm L USM 5.6 ISO400 F7.1 1/1250 available light 21 May 2012 2.26pm
The three Beach Stone-curlews at Soldiers Point apparently roost and nest on Dowadee Island which is off a busy marina and opposite a relatively busy small beach. The birds are used to human activity and actually spend most days on the beach and periodically feed on a variety of crabs that populate the area between high and low tides . It was fascinating to see the adult pair and sub-adult young walk up the beach and just sit on the sand for considerable periods of time despite people being on the beach they seem to have a space of approximately 20 metres which if invaded will cause them to stand up initially and then walk away. Even relatively close lawn mowing failed to cause movement. Having said that these are still aware and wild birds and observation shows that they start a bobbing action if their space is invaded which will then cause a quick run and then flight to Dowadee Island (observed by Trevor Murray). It amazing to see these birds feed on crabs in general but on Soldier Crabs in particular particularly so as they come out in numbers often large numbers. However it is casual feeding on a few crabs rather than big numbers being devoured as food is plentiful on this beach so much time is spent simply roosting or sitting down. Here the bird is feeding on a Soldier Crab ( Mictyris platycheles). Elsewhere often this species can be hard to locate and may also be wary.
Thanks for viewing
Best regards
Rod Warnock
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This bird look big... this can't find in Malaysia

nelson khor wrote:This bird look big... this can't find in Malaysia

Got la.... but super rare, old records from Langkawi, a recent rare vagrancy at Sabah, neighboring Singapore have tiny population on off-shore islands.....

Interesting and well capture.

Golden light we call....and we light birds which used to human activities ...

Great shots of the rare with FIM .

jhseow wrote:Great shots of the rare with FIM .

haha, its shot in Australia where it was not so rare.....

Dear All
Sorry for the confusion I left the Australia off by accident I have never been to Malaysia. jytou is correct. On the east coast from say Taree NSW to Far North Queensland it gets more frequent. Very few where I took it. In 2011 I traveled the above route looking in likely spots but didn't see one indeed the bird image was the first I have seen ever. In NSW it is on the Endangered List and even in Queensland is on their Vulnerable List see: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Best regards
Rod

so good that Australian wildlife authority has such kind of information available on the net...