Last Rites of Spring at Mai Po

Well, I hope not, but 10th of May is getting quite late for spring passage here in the tropics….

The rain of the past couple of days eased up for long enough for me to decide to scuttle along to the boardwalk hides at Mai Po and fire off a few frames.

Besides, this weekend is "World Migratory Bird Day" isn't it ?

http://worldmigratorybirdday.org/2014/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59&Itemid=5


Without further ado; - here some of today's photos in the order they were taken.

Asian Dowitcher - Limnodromus semipalmatus

Asian Dowitcher - Limnodromus semipalmatus

Asian Dowitcher - Limnodromus semipalmatus

Red Knot - Calidris canutus

Mostly Terek Sandpipers - Xenus cinereus

Sanderling - Calidris alba

White-winged Terns - Chlidonias leucopterus

Terns - Gull-billed, Little and White-winged

Whiskered Tern (left) - Chlidonias hybrida

White-winged Terns - Chlidonias leucopterus

Red-necked Stint - Calidris ruficollis

Orange-over-yellow means "South Australia" - you've come a long way, baby ! I have reported this one on the appropriate thread:-

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/BBS/viewthread.php?tid=20979&extra=page%3D1

It was possible to get some of the ring number on this one - 76141.  The Australian Wader Studies Group tell us that this Red-necked Stint was ringed in the Nene Valley, South Australia in 2003.

So it's a very well-travelled twelve-year-old.

Whimbrel - Numenius phaeopus

The main wader passage has passed now, but many of the waders on view are in attractive breeding plumages.

A couple more days of "decent" Mai Po tides (but not necessarily "decent" light) and that will be the spring wader passage done for another year.