During the school holidays, we decided to go to Flat Rock as we hadn’t been there for a few months. Flat Rock is a mecca for shorebirds. It is a rocky outcrop looking out off the water just outside Ballina and all sorts of rarities can turn up there.

We got out of the car and immediately spotted an Australian Brushturkey sifting through leaf-litter and feeding on bugs.

We got down to the beach and realised it was extremely windy. it was a strong southerly and the sand was flying around everywhere. Nothing that would stop us, though!

A flock of Crested Terns sat quietly, watching us, while a White-faced Heron patrolled the rockpools.

A flock of shorebirds caught my attention as they frolicked in the foam. Tiny Red-necked Stints ran around on stumpy little legs, feeding on invertebrates in the algae. these birds fly all the way to Australia from Alaska in the summer, following a path called the East-Asian-Australasian Flyway.

Ruddy Turnstones ran comically around the pools, occasionally flying up into the air when a larger wave came.

Curlew Sandpipers poked their long, curved beaks into rocky crevices, prying out small creatures. These birds are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN red list.

A lone Grey-tailed Tattler rushed around the slippery, moss-covered rocks looking for limpets.

A pair of Sooty Oystercatchers fed on large limpets that were stuck to the moss. These particular birds didn’t mind me getting quite close so I was able to get some beautiful shots.

Australasian Gannets dove out to sea and a Pied Cormorant sat on a rock.

As we were photographing, I noticed a different cormorant sitting with the Pied. It had the body of a Great and the head of a Pied. We realised it was a hybrid between the Great and Pied Cormorants. Hybrids like this are rare and it was a great sighting.

I heartily recommend Flat Rock to other birdwatchers and, if you don’t see a hybrid cormorant, I can guarantee if you go in summer, you will still get to enjoy the stints.