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A Victorian Record of the Asiatic Dowitcher by FRED

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A Victorian Record of the Asiatic Dowitcher by FRED March ] SMITH, Asiatic Dowitcher 111 1974 Cairns region. Yet in the south-west Coral Sea, breeding occurs extensively on the grass and tree covered cays, the closest to Cairns being that of North-East Cay, in the Herald Group, some 400 km to the east. This island supports dense patches of Pisonia trees, the species' favourite nesting sites. However, on September 27, 1960, and only about 250 km east, north-east of Cairns, the species was sighted on Holmes Reef, though breeding was not observed (Hindwood foe. cit.). Again, it would seem likely that the White-capped Noddies we saw at both Green Island and Michaelmas Cay, were "blown in" by the cyclonic weather conditions of the time. Apart from the south­ west Coral Sea, the species is known to breed in the Torres Strait, to the north of our region, and in the Capricorns, to the south. Consider­ ing that both of these areas are equally about 1,000 km either side of Cairns, it would seem more plausible to assume that our birds colonized the area from the east. REFERENCES Cooper, Roy P., 1948. "Birds of the Capricorns- Great Barrier Reef", Emu 48: 107-126. Gill, H. B., 1970. "Birds of Innisfail and Hinterland", Emu, 10: 111. Hindwood, K. A., K. Krith, and D. L. Serventy, 1963. "Birds of the South-West Coral Sea", Division of Wildlife R esearch Technical Paper No.3, CSIRO. Hogan, J., 1921. "Bird Notes from Willis Island", Emu, 24: 266-275. Serventy, D. L., V. Serventy and J. Warham, 1971. The Handbook of Australian Sea-Birds. Reed. Wheeler, W. R., 1967. "Birds of Cairns, Cooktown and the Atherton Tablelands", Australian Bird W ate her, 3: 55-76. White, S. R., 1946. "Notes on the Birdlife of Australia's Heaviest Rainwall Region", Emu, 46: 81-122. A Victorian Record of the Asiatic Dowitcher By FRED. T. H. SMITH, Kew, Victoria. SUMMARY The second Australian and first Victorian record of the Asiatic Dowitcher, Limnodromus semipalmatus, is reported, with field-notes on its habits and a detailed description of plumage and soft parts. Photographs enlarged from 35 mm colour transparencies are pro­ vided. Comparison between the Asiatic Dowitcher and the two North American species is made. Some supporting notes are also given from the literature, with brief comments on taxonomy, breed­ ing and non-breeding range, and origin of the appellation dowitcher. GENERAL The first record of the Asiatic Dowitcher in Australia was of one shot at Frances Bay, Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, on October 16, 1971. The collector, D. N. Crawford, wrote to me seek­ ing more information on the species than was available to him at that time, and I was able to supply him with some notes on descrip- SMITH, Asiatic Dowitcher [ Bird Watcher tion taken primarily from Birds of the Soviet Union (Dementev and Gladkov, 1951). In the course of locating references on the Asiatic Dowitcher, I learned more of the field identification aspects of that species, and also of the two other species that are largely confined to North America; the Short-billed Dowitcher, L. griseus, and the Long-billed Dowitcher, L. scolopaceus. I had previously made myself familiar, from text books and other pertinent literature, with the field recog­ nition characteristics of the three world species of Limnodromus, as I may chance to see one in this country during a field outing among the waders. After the Darwin record it appeared that, as is often the case, another bird may eventually be found in this country, but I did not imagine that I was to observe one in the south of Australia a little less than 15 months later. On January 7, 1973, with five other observers- M. J. Drakeley (from England), Robert Elvish, Robert Swindley, Rod Sympson and Peder Weibull (from Sweden), I was at the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works Farm, Werribee, at a point approxi­ mately 45 km south-west of Melbourne, Victoria. An area known by local bird-watchers as "The Spit", although marked on official maps as "The Island", was visited. It is a long narrow spit of mud and sand, about 1 km long, covered in places with low salt-vegetation, extending from the shore into westernmost Port Phillip Bay, and curving westward to run parallel with the shore-line, and enclosed a wide, shallow, muddy, saline lagoon. The spit is a favoured locality for large numbers and diversity of bird-life. At the time of our visit it was teeming with small migratory waders, comprised largely of Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Calidris acuminata, Curlew-Sandpiper, C. ferruginea, and Red-necked Stint, C. ruficollis, with several larger species in much smaller numbers. At approximately I p.m. a large wader with a very long, straight bill was noticed standing about 30 m away, on wet sand near the water's edge, with a few Eastern (Lesser) Golden Plover, Pluvialis dominica fulva. The long-billed bird was holding a semi-alert stance with its neck not quite fully extended vertically. It closely resembled a Bar-tailed Godwit, Limosa lapponica, and would most likely have been mistaken for that species from a few metres further away. How­ ever, the long straight bill was completely black to the gape, with no suggestion of the pinkish basal section, or slight upcurve, that is so apparent in the Bar-tailed Godwit. It was then recognized, from the earlier knowledge gained from literature, as a dowitcher. Leg colour, which was well seen in good light, was noted to be dark grey or black. No one detected a light hue or colour, other than blackish, in the legs. The very dark legs suggested the Asiatic Dowitcher as opposed to the lighter hued legs of the Short-billed and Long-billed species. In the ensuing one and a half hours that the bird was under surveillance, we were able to check leg and bill colour several times from close range. Asiatic Dowitcher at Werribee, Victoria, 7/1 / 1973. Plate 23 Photo by M . J. Drakeley Two members of the party had 35 mm cameras with telephoto lens. Drakeley had a 15 x 60 spottingscope that was adapted for use with his camera, and Weibull used a follow-focus 400 mm telephoto lens with his camera. Both had been taking photographs as we were observing birds generally. When it was realized that we had dis­ covered the second Australian record of the Asiatic Dowitcher, both photographers concentrated on this species. Consequently, they obtained several colour transparencies of the bird, and Weibull also exposed some black and white film. We soon found that the dowitcher was not particularly timid and would allow a close approach, often remaining behind after other wader species with it had flown as we moved closer. It did make a few short flights, however, during which we were able to note that, although the upper parts were largely dark, there was a noticeable paler shade over the upper tail, upper tail coverts, rump and lower back, and also across the upper rear surface of the wing covering the inner primaries and all the secondaries. The pale area was strongly and regularly barred with dark brown or blackish, being particularly apparent from the tip of the tail to and including the lower back. No area of clear white was seen on the back of the bird, which was in complete non-breeding plumage, and this further set it apart from the Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers, which both show clear white on the back, and on the rear edge of the secondaries, in non-breeding plumage. We studied the bird in great detail from a distance which was often as close as 15 m, and occasionally closer. Optical instruments used included 8 x 30, 10 x 50, and 15 x 50 binoculars, and the 15 x 60 spottingscope already referred to, which was mounted on a steady tripod. The bird frequently fed in 50 mm to 100 mm of water, often with the under parts immersed, within a metre of the shoreline. Some- 114 SMITH, Asiatic Dowitcher [ Bird Watcher times its head and neck were submerged for several seconds as it probed the soft mud below. A few times it was seen ashore on soft wet mud and sand, that was heavily studded with marine bivalve shells, where it pushed its long bill to the full length into the mud, and moved it rapidly straight up and down. Occasionally, when the bill was withdrawn from the mud it was noted to be holding, near the tip, in most cases a small, thin, reddish marine worm, some of which appeared to be close to 100 mm long. These were quickly swallowed and the peculiar vertical bill pumping resumed instantly. When feeding out of the water it moved about unhurriedly, but was capable of walking rapidly at times, most often when a little disturbed by our nearness. When standing in a relaxed posture the neck was drawn right into the body, with the bill pointed slightly downward, giving it a rather dumpy appearance. Usually it was seen on the semi-alert with the neck partly extended upward, and bill pointed slightly downward ; but when completely alert the bird stood more upright with the neck fully extended vertically, giving it an un­ expected long slim look, and the bill held horizontally. Sometimes the dowitcher relaxed from the fully alert posture, but often it was the prelude to a short flight. Similarly, sometimes in flight, particularly soon after take-off or just before alighting, it would hold its extended neck at an angle somewhere between horizontal and vertical and above the level of the semi-downcurved wings; giving it the elegance of the Greenshank, Tringa nebularia, or Grey-tailed Tattler, T.
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