While doing a regular swing around the Little Tern 'breeding' sites this
morning (I use the term loosely as it has been a particularly unproductive
year for the terns), I saw an adult Brown Booby on a sand island within the
Gippsland lakes sitting with a flock of mixed cormorants. The bird appeared
to be a male judging by the bluish-green colouring to the base of the bill.
The bird was about a kilometre to the east of Rotamah Island on a dredge
spoil island (put there for Little Terns to breed on). When I disturbed a
mixed flock of cormorants (Great, Little Pied, Little Black and Black-faced)
I noticed it's very different flight. The location where it was seen is
about 50m from the coastal strip, inside the lake, and about 150m from the
ocean.
A quick search of the literature suggested that Brown Boobies are very rare
in Victoria and it might be worth others in the Gippsland Lakes looking out
for it. I obtained a very good view of the bird, and it's hard to imagine
confusing an adult Brown Booby with anything. I meant to go back around and
have another look for it in the afternoon but the wind blew up a bit too
much for our little dinghy.
Craig Doolan
Rotamah Island Bird Observatory
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