Wednesday 4 September 2013

Beach Stone Curlew

As this is Wednesday, I am showing you another Australian bird called the Beach Stone-curlew, Esacus magnirostris also known as Beach Thick-knee.  It is a large, ground-dwelling bird that occurs in Australasia, the islands of South-east Asia. At (22 in) and (2.2 lbs), it is one of the world's largest shorebirds and I will be showing you a video of it at the end of this post,
on Dunk Island, Queensland.


We hired a boat from Mission Bay, Queensland and made our way out to Dunk Island.  This island had been devastated by the cyclone a few years ago and the whole resort destroyed.  Only last year had the public been allowed to land on the island again and in the future it is hoped that it will be rebuilt.

The Bush Stone Curlew is less strictly nocturnal than most stone-curlews, and can sometimes be seen foraging by daylight, moving slowly and deliberately, with occasional short runs. It tends to be wary and fly off into the distance ahead of the observer, employing slow, rather stiff wing beats.



The Beach Stone-curlew is a resident of undisturbed open beaches, exposed reefs, mangroves, and tidal sand or mudflats over a large range, including coastal eastern Australia as far south as far eastern Victoria, the northern Australian coast and nearby islands, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. It is uncommon over most of its range, and rare south of Cairns.

Adults have a large head, massive up tilted bill, hunched profile, stout legs and thick 'knees' (actually ankles). The upper body is predominately grey-brown with distinctive black and white patterning on the face, shoulder and secondary wings. The throat and breast are a paler grey-brown, the belly is white and the wings are white with some black on the tips. The large bill is yellow at the base and black at the tip. Beach Stone-Curlews have a large yellow eye and a broad black eye patch, with white bands above and below it.





Feeding: 

The Beach Stone Curlew forages on large intertidal mudflats, sand flats, sandbanks and sandpits by low tide for crabs and other marine invertebrates.



Breeding:

 Their nests may be located on sandbanks, sandpits, or island in estuaries, coral ridges, among mangroves or in the sand surrounded by short grass and scattered casuarinas. Typically one egg is laid per season above the high tide line on an open beach where it is vulnerable to predation and human disturbance The female may lay a second egg is the first is lost. Once the young have hatched both parents care for them until they reach 7-12 months old.


The Beach Stone Curlew is classifies as Near Threatened on the
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.



This was my daughter, son in law and 2 grand children landing at Dunk Island.


These are a few of the buildings that have been destroyed by Cyclone Yasi.




 Looking back at a few of the other islands we visited.


One of the beaches on Dunk island.
Now the video can be accessed at
http://youtu.be/k81_W-JwbP0

If there is a black space below, click it and the video wil appear.



I hope you enjoyed the Beach Stone Curlew and next Wednesday I hope to show you the Bush Stone Curlew and you will discover the differences.

Tomorrow we are back again at Carisbrooke Castle to see the beautiful Chapel and  Princess Beatrice Gardens.

I am linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

58 comments:

  1. Great photos - they are interesting birds. Surprisingly there is a pair of them out at Inskip Point. They have been there for years and apparently have got used to people enough that they seem to do OK.

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  2. HI Mick Glad you enjoyed this post. Good to know about the other pair. Thanks for comment.

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  3. Beautiful pictures Margaret, beautiful environment.
    The Stone Curlew is beautiful.
    Greetings Irma

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    1. Hi Irma I am glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for commenting.

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  4. Aren't they too sweet, comical too. You've such gorgeous shots, plus another new bird to my list...I wonder how many different species of birds have you actually seen?

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    1. Hi Lynn I have no idea how many birds I have seen. I never thought to keep a list when I started birding and it seems to big a task now. Also that sort of things does not bother me, I just love seeing the birds etc that turn up and learn about them. Have you been away on holidays? I have missed your comments as I thought you would like my posts I have been doing regarding Carisbrooke Castle. Last one tomorrow but if you haven't seen them, I will aadd the dates where the are on my blog. Many thanks for the comments. I have just returned last nnight from I.O.W to N.Ireland.

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  5. Loved the bird, the video and the scenery. Thank you.

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  6. It is sad to hear they are endangered species. I enjoyed the photos and video! Great post on the Curlew, Margaret!

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  7. Hi Eileen Yes that is always sad to ehar they areendangered. thanks for comments and glad you liked the post.

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  8. Brilliant looking bird, I like the image of the two running along the beach so comical looking.

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    1. Hi Douoglas Yes they are comical. I remember laughing at the time as they did it over adn over again. Thanks for comment.

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  9. They do look like they love beach running... I can appreciate that!! ;) blessings ~ tanna

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  10. Hi Tanna It would hae been far too hot to run anywhere!! Glad you liked the post and thanks for commenting

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  11. Those curlews sure do move quickly.

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    1. Hi Yes they were very hard to keep them in the view finder when filming. Thanks for comment

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  12. What an interesting bird. Thanks for this great post.

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  13. so cute running along. i like their big bills.

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  14. Beautiful bird! So terrible to see the destruction from the cyclone. It's sad to think of all the loss!

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    1. Hi Linda Yes and thatwas at least a year or 2 after it. I was the first plane into Cairns after the Cyclone Yasi. Yes that resort was a very expensive one adn very beautiful.

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  15. Hi Margaret!
    Beautiful bird. It is an endangered species?
    Incredible.
    Very interesting post and great pictures.
    Greetings.
    Lucia

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    1. Hi Lucia I am glad and enjoyed the post and thanks for comment.

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  16. Interesting bird and post! Nice pictures, too.

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    1. Hi Cheryl Many thanks for yuor kind comment and I a glad yuo enjoyed it

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  17. Wonderful shots of interesting bird.

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  18. I love the yellow boat with the little cloth awning over it! I have never heard of this bird, but it surely is huge for a seabird and very impressive!

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    1. Hi Ginny Glad you liked the bird, you probably won't know the next Australian one either then. Thanks for comment.

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  19. Beautiful Stone Curlew, a bit of change to ours. Thanks Margaret.

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  20. Hi Bob Yes, completely different although they do have the Curlew that looks like our one on Cairns sea front.

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  21. Nice report and great pics to go with this really cool looking bird. The vid is great. I love how they run and hope they will be able to bounce back off that Near Threatened List. We record for history I feel.....future generations will read our work and wonder what the world was like when there were so many wonderful creatures still alive and not extinct. It makes me sad.

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    1. Hi Chris Many thanks for your kind comments and glad you enjoyed this post. Yes it is very ad we have lost some animals etc.

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  22. Interesting and a bit comical, too! Love all your photos.

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    1. HI BL Thanks for comment and I did laugh at the time as they kept running up and down all the time.

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  23. That Curlew is STUNNING Margaret. Wonderful post - thank you.

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    1. Hi Em Thanks for commenting and I am glad you enjoyed the bird

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  24. What funny birds ! !-)
    Céline & Philippe

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    1. HI I have to agree. I laugh as I filmed it because they never stopped running back and forward up and down the beach! Thanks for comment.

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  25. the Thick Knees are such interesting birds. Seen a few of them and liked them all. Loved to see your video of them running like they were in a great hurry. :)

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    1. Hi NF Glad you liked the post. They are funny and the video showed that. Thanks for comment

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  26. I love to see the interesting birds on your coast. Lovely little video.

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    1. HI Betty Thanks you for your comment. I don'tlive in Australia however I have a daughter there and therefore have visited many times and have photos to share. I decide a few weeks ago when I linked up with Stewart from Wild Bird Wednesday, to post an Australian bird every Wednesday. I live in Northern Ireland.

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  27. They are very cute how they run along the beach, so sweet and comical. Wonderful photos Margaret and I am glad to hear this beautiful place is coming back after such a devastating cyclone.

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    1. Hi Denise So glad you enjoyed this bird adn yes it is very funny as it runs along the beach. Thanks for comments.

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  28. Birds running beautifully!
    Interesting shots.

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    1. Hi Many thanks for visiting and commenting. Hope you will visit again.

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  29. Beautiful shots! Have a great day!

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  30. Margaret, what funny birds! I have never seen or heard of them! I love them! Thanks for showing them to us! They move quite quickly, don't they?

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  31. HI Kathie I am glad you enjoyed seeing these funny birds adn thannks for comment.

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  32. These are crazy looking birds! I had hoped to see some on a trip a year or so, but no joy. I saw some on the beach near Broome a rather long time ago!

    My kids are a real mixed bag of a influences - but there could be a few Irish genes in there!

    I would never have picked your recent post as being the Isle of White!


    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  33. HI Stewart Glad you enjyed the post of the 'crazy' birds! when you wrote the Isle of White I thuoght I thought you were telling me I had spelt it wrong. Pwee!! No, It is Wight, not White. before my family lived there I always thought it was spelt White!! YEs I know your kids had some Irish genes, they will do well.

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