sgbeachbum: Nordmann's Greenshank @ Mersing, Johor 4Nov2018

Monday, November 5, 2018

Nordmann's Greenshank @ Mersing, Johor 4Nov2018

Strangely the previous week saw about 60 common greenshanks at the shore but there were zero seen on 4 Nov. There was just one lone greenshank with the grey plovers and barwits. I had initially glossed over the greenshank thinking it would just be one of the many common greenshanks. It was only later when David started exclaiming excitedly that there was an unusual Terek Sandpiper (he was using his bins from a long way off) in the bunch of birds and that it could be a Nordmann's Greenshank that I turned my attention to it again. Scoping it out, we had to wait until it turned to show us its bill and started walking along the shore in order to confirm what it was. It did look similar to a Terek in that it was hunched although its bill was noticeably bicoloured and its legs were slightly off yellow. It did not raise its neck to stand tall much like how the Common Greenshanks would.

Nordmann's Greenshanks (Tringa guttifer) are rare and there might only be between about 600 to 1300 mature birds left (according to the IUCN website). This is apparently due to breeding habitat degradation in Russia and also the loss of important coastal feeding areas along the East Asian coastline due to development.

This was certainly a welcomed sighting and on my first Wader Conservation Watch #WCWW5. Check out waderquest.net/wader-conservation-world-watch/ for more information.

This group of shorebirds is rather sensitive to people on the shore or even other birds such as white-bellied sea eagles and house crows. You have to maintain a good distance from them so that they do not get spooked and fly off. Once spooked, it is unlikely that they will come back to the same spot as the shore is a very long one and there would be other spots to choose from. There are also nearby islands and rocky outcrops which they could roost. Birders should be careful about this to avoid spooking the birds.