A migratory bird that breeds and spends much of its life in the frigid wilds of Siberia and Alaska has been found in Lake Macquarie.
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A rocky waterfront outcrop at Green Point proved the perfect resting place for the diminutive bird, a wandering tattler, recently.
The bird probably would have gone unnoticed if not for eagle-eyed CiviLake works coordinator Corey Milton.
It’s believed to be the first wandering tattler known to have ventured into Lake Macquarie.
It’s estimated the bird could have flown 11,500km to get here.
The wandering tattler does migrate south during the northern winter, but it is rarely seen in Australia.
“It was a wet day and I was going down to the shoreline to see how our rock revetment works were going,” Mr Milton said.
“I was just standing there and this bird lands about three or four metres away from me. When you work around the lake you get used to the different birds that live there. I looked at this one and thought: ‘I’ve never seen one like that before’.”
Mr Milton snapped a photo and reported his find to a bird-watching colleague, who, upon further investigation, discovered it was a wandering tattler.
Hunter Bird Observers Club spokesman Alan Stuart said news of the find quickly spread through the bird-watching community, prompting hundreds of enthusiasts to flock to the area for a glimpse.
“The species is a migrant but it mainly moves around in the North American flyway, not the East Asian – Australasian flyway,” Mr Stuart said.
“As a gauge of the interest, we estimate a couple of hundred people went out to look at it. That would include many birdwatchers from Sydney and from places further away.”
The tattler sighting brings the total number of confirmed bird species sighted in Lake Macquarie to 309.
Lake Macquarie City Council’s sustainability manager Alice Howe said that total reflected the city’s diversity of habitats for birds and other fauna.
“One of the things we love about Lake Macquarie is its stunning natural environment,” Dr Howe said.
“This is further confirmation that this is also a place to thrive for a multitude of flora and fauna.”
The wandering tattler has grey plumage with a white belly; short, thick yellow legs; and has an unusual bobbing motion in its tail and rear end when it walks.
