Banded Stilts, Flinders Island

Hi all,
On the 5th December 2012, Dr Sue Robinson (DPIPWE) and myself observed approximately 2000 Banded Stilts at the northern end of Logan Lagoon, Flinders Island (55G 609616 E, 5552961 S). Feeding in a typical line formation in shallow water near the centre of the lagoon they were later disturbed by an unidentified raptor and seen flying in a large mixed flock with 100s of Australasian Shelducks.
Since our first sighting in February 2012 (see below), it is of note that there has been only one other sighting of Banded Stilts on Flinders Island, that of 17-19 October 2012 (DPIPWE). I spoke with the Flinders Island PWS Ranger and he was unaware of any reports and had not seen the stilts personally during the intervening period. It is unclear whether the stilts remained on the island or in the interim, they moved on. The absence of sightings may be simply due to the lack of survey effort/observations.
The previous report from 24/25th February this year is reprinted here from Yellow Throat 63, BirdLife Tasmania:
“Two thousand Banded Stilts (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus) were observed in the north-eastern bay of Logan Lagoon, Flinders Island (55 G 610615 E, 5553839 S) on 24 and 25 February, 2012. They were seen roosting in a straight line approximately 10 birds deep, 100 metres offshore, in shallow water. When feeding they moved as one group in a line, wading in the shallows. The flock was a mixture of adults in breeding and nonbreeding plumage with some juveniles. No other wader species were seen in the flock. In 2003, between 1000 and 3000 Banded Stilts were seen in this area, travelling around Cameron Inlet, Logan Lagoon and Adelaide Bay from approximately mid-January through till March–April. All other Tasmanian sightings of Banded Stilts have been in numbers fewer than 10. The observers were Liz Znidersic and Dr Sue Robinson (DPIPWE).”
Kind regards,
Liz

 some pics of Feb 2012 sighting here
http://birdobserversnortheast.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/banded-stilts.html 

Further reading http://birding-aus.org/

St Helens Point, including St Helens Light, Beerbarrel Beach

St Helens Point is a reserve set on a mostly granite headland situated approximately 12 kms nor'-nor'-east  of St Helens township overlooking the South Pacific Ocean

Bird List:

BRUSH BRONZEWING	Phaps elegans
GREAT CORMORANT	Phalacrocorax carbo
PIED OYSTERCATCHER	Haematopus longirostris
SOOTY OYSTERCATCHER	Haematopus fuliginosus
HOODED PLOVER	Thinornis rubricollis
CRESTED TERN	Sterna bergii
KELP GULL	Larus dominicanus
SILVER GULL	Larus novaehollandiae
YELLOW-TAILED BLACK COCKATOO	Calyptorhynchus funereus
SUPERB FAIRY-WREN	Malurus cyaneus
TASMANIAN SCRUBWREN	Sericornis humilis
BROWN THORNBILL	Acanthiza pusilla
LITTLE WATTLEBIRD	Anthochaera chrysoptera
WHITE-FRONTED CHAT	Epthianura albifrons
CRESCENT HONEYEATER	Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera
GREY BUTCHERBIRD	Cracticus torquatus
GREY FANTAIL	Rhipidura albiscapa
FOREST RAVEN	Corvus tasmanicus
SILVEREYE	Zosterops lateralis
WELCOME SWALLOW	Hirundo neoxena
COMMON BLACKBIRD	Turdus merula
COMMON STARLING	Sturnus vulgaris