THEY call it the tattler, but a keen-eyed worker at Lake Macquarie has told the tale of a species’ first recorded visit to the area.
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Corey Milton, a works co-ordinator for Lake Macquarie City Council business CiviLake, saw the wandering tattler on a rocky outcrop.
It may well have been the bird’s resting place after flying more than 11,000 kilometres given the species mostly lives in Siberia and Alaska.
While it migrates south during the winter, it rarely reaches Australian shores.
“I was just standing there and this bird lands about three or four metres away from me,” Mr Milton said.
“When you work around the lake you get used to the different birds that live there.
“I looked at this one and thought: ‘I’ve never seen one like that before’.”
Hunter Bird Observers Club spokesman Alan Stuart said news of the find spread quickly.
“As a gauge of the interest, we estimate a couple of hundred people went out to look at it,” he said.
“That would include many birdwatchers from Sydney and from places further away.”
Matt Carr
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
