Late one afternoon I went walkabout in north Queensland, hoping to see a Beach Stone-curlew. As I walked across the foreshore there was a lone Peaceful Dove foraging in the shadows, a juvenile, I’m more used to seeing these doves in pairs or family groups. I moved slowly until my camera was resting on the drought-stricken grass and while I watched the dove moved from the shadows and turned to look at me.
Peaceful Dove (Geopelia striata)
Canon 7D, 100-400mm L IS USM, f/5.6, 1/3200, ISO 400, focal length 400mm
Juvenile Peaceful Doves have softer barring on their feathers than the adults and their eye-ring, eye and cere are greyer than the pastel blue they will become. They are small doves, averaging 22mm and weighing about 50g. They feed mainly on grass seeds but also take occasional insects. They are never too far from water as they need to drink twice each day. I stayed watching this cute little bird for quite a while before continuing my quest for the vulnerable Beach Stone-curlew I didn’t expect to see.
Beach Stone-curlew (Esacus magnirostris)
Canon 7D, 100-400mm L IS USM, f/5.6, 1/2500, ISO 400, exposure compensation +1/3, focal length 400mm
I walked slowly inland from the beach, stepping carefully to check for waders’ nests, and pausing often to scan the area. I was about 30m from the beach when I caught sight of my first and only Beach Stone-curlew. It froze, then ran a few paces, then froze again: it was so comical. I hunkered down and watched as it continued running and freezing in a circle around me, almost as though it was connected to me by a long string.
Beach Stone-curlew ((Esacus magnirostris)
Canon 7D, 100-400mm L IS USM, f/5.6, 1/3200, ISO 400, exposure compensation +1/3, focal length 400mm
I took several images but my favourites are the two I’ve posted. The stone-curlew ran behind a bush and I thought that I wouldn’t see it again but it reappeared and came closer to me before freezing again and looking at me with a surprised expression on its face. I probably had a surprised expression on my face too.
During the same trip I also saw the Bush Stone-curlew that featured in an earlier post. The two curlews are the same size (about 56cm and weighing 1kg, that’s 20 times the weight of the dove). The Beach Stone-curlew has a larger bill and subtler markings than its ‘cousin’. I wasn’t lucky enough to see a juvenile which are looked after by the parents for up to 12 months, nor did I hear their mournful wailing call but it’s always good to save something for next time.
Happy birding, Kim
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