sgbeachbum: Terek Sandpiper @ SBWR

Monday, October 5, 2015

Terek Sandpiper @ SBWR - 04Oct2015

This Terek Sandpiper was amongst two seen at the wetland reserve's main pond on 4Oct2015. It kept running along the shoreline occasionally wading into the water close to the edge looking for food. It was about a third the size of a common redshank. Keeping it company were some Pacific Golden Plovers, Lesser Sand Plovers, lots of Common Greenshanks, lots of Common Redshanks, lots of whimbrels, a lone Eurasian Curlew, a lone Bar-Tailed Godwit and a couple of Black-Tailed Godwits. And also about 20 Painted Storks and about 45 Little Herons and an Great Egret along with the Reserve's more common resident birds.

The Terek Sandpiper looks quite a bit like the Common Redshanks although quite a bit smaller and with much shorter bright orange-yellow legs. It also has a rather long (for its size) bill which is slightly upturned. One of its characteristic traits is the short run along the water's edge or shore and probing with its long bill into the soft mud for food items. This time it managed to locate a tiny crab which it carried into the water away from the other birds where it carefully manoeuvred the crab in its bill as if to try to either stun it or despatch the crab's pincers. Finally after a short drop in the water, it picked it up before swallowing it whole. The Redshank behind it also managed to pick up something although I am not able to make out what it is.

Find out more about the East Asian Flyway :

http://www.eaaflyway.net/about/the-flyway/

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/userfiles/file/sowb/flyways/8_EastAsia_Australasia_NEW.pdf

About the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve : https://www.nparks.gov.sg/sbwr