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Well its getting to that time of year. Migrants have been
arriving for many weeks now.
The first evidence was the Wood Sandpiper I first sighted it
this season at the Derby Sewerage works 30/7/03. We now have dozens around the
Broome area along with a few Long-toed Stints.
We did however start seeing Oriental Pratincoles and Little
Curlews on 19/7/03 these could have been early returns but were most likley
birds overwintering. The last 2 species have yet to arrive in numbers and we are
expecting them any day now.
Oriental Plovers have been around for a few weeks now with the
odd one roosting in the vast flocks of waders on the beach. This species is much
more at home on the Grasslands of Roebuck Plains.
The Waders in Roebuck Bay are increasing by the minute with
12-13 thousand already easily seen along the Northern Shores at hight tide. I
have already seen Juv's of Red Knot, Curlew Sandpipers, and Black -tailed
Godwits. Broad-bills are not easy to find at the moment not sure why and
Dowitcher numbers have dropped off slightly. We usuall find this happens for a
few weeks when the adults start to return but by Mid October numbers should
increase to 30 or 40.
Yellow Wagtails have yet to arrive usually at the end of
September early October for this species. Their usual haunt the Broome Sewerage
where upto 50 were present last year is being re vamped and is very busy with
construction vehicles and not much bird life present as yet.
As Mike mentioned the other day the first
Fork-tailed Swift for the season turned up the other day 4/9/03 what will
turn up in the way of rare swifts this cyclone season. (not many I hope as I
will be in South Australia for most of the wet)
Well Ill keep you posted on recent highlights as they come to
hand.
Cheers Adrian Boyle
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