Hi Everyone,
Today was an official Qld Wader Study Group high tide roost count day. These
counts are conducted monthly, year in, year out. Today's was outstanding not
so much for birds, but for the rare sight of three dugong feeding leisurely
near the southern entrance to Tripcony Bight. They were two adults and a
calf. We weren't sure what we were watching, but wondered at first if it
might be courtship display (still don't know), as the tails were coming out
of the water (something none of us had seen before). One of the adults would
surface, roll over onto its back, and lie leisurely as if on a li-lo, then
roll over again and dive. It was absolutely magic, and lasted about ten
minutes. We had taken a local councillor out in the boat with us, and we had
to impress on her that this isn't something we see every time. And when we
do see dugong, all we usually see is a hump breaching the surface and
disappearing.
A pair of Jabiru continues to tend the nest at Lime Pocket, just to the
north. One of the adults flew over the boat, looking like a prehistoric
creature, whilst the other sat dutifully on the nest. Rob King, who owns the
boat, said there are now young in the nest.
Bird numbers were steady. I had about 80 Eastern Curlew at the Donny brook
roost, as well as a pair of Pied Oystercatchers which have that nesting look
about them (you could tell by the flush in her cheeks). About 330
Black-winged Stilts at Poverty Creek. The Poverty-behind-Mission roost was
not accessible because the high tide was too low. At Thooloora South-East
about 1300 birds clung to a small amount of exposed roost, and included 66
Gull-billed Terns, 221 Bar-tailed Godwit, 236 Grey-tailed tattler, 161 Great
Knot, 6 Red-necked Avocet, another 630 Black-winged Stilt, and a few other
odds and sods. One of the Gull-billed Terns wore an orange leg flag. (I'll
report it.) Hardly a Whimbrel all day.
It was an absolute corker of a day - sunny, still, clear. A fabulous part of
the world.
Cheers,
Jill
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