Just been to Broome and back. I saw the SPP at the Broome sewage ponds at
10:00 on Sunday 17th, and again today at 10:30. This bird has been there
off and on since late October. It seems to like the west (golf course)
side. There is a bank between two ponds near where there are 3 circular
concrete structures, and an electrical box.
You are outside the fence. There is no access inside the fence. Because
of the height of the bank, you need to stand on your car. On the door step
was good enough for me, but on the roof would be better!
However, it is not always there. I failed to find it at 14:00, 16:00 and
16:30 today (Monday). I also failed at about 09:45, but I flushed a small
brown wader from the bank on the north (Clementson Street) side and it flew
towards its preferred site, and Nik and Matt from the BBO and then I saw it
shortly after. It was quite active each time I saw it, and was often out
of sight as it walked down a bank, but it would fairly soon reappear. The
bank was covered in the afternoon by Silver Gulls, so it was probably
nearby but avoiding the gulls. So I feel that it is still around, and is
likely to hang around. No rain for the last two days in Broome. It may
have been recent rain that brought it back into view.
The SPP is not the only good bird there. There is a stint with a yellow
flag which usually can be seen on the overflow at the back right of that
pond. This is almost certainly a Little Stint that was banded
recently. There were seven snipe there today in the grass on the north
side towards the eastern end. One has an engraved yellow leg flag number
31 on its upper right leg. This is a Swinhoe's Snipe, and it often rests
under the small palm tree near the entrance. At least one of the others is
a Pin-tailed Snipe as Adrian Boyle recently photographed it (see recent
birding-aus message from Rohan Clarke).
There was an Eastern Yellow Wagtail on the east side today, but most
wagtails have left Broome and probably won't return until late March or
April before they head north.
There are about 100 Barn Swallows that spend most of their time on the
eastern side with a number of Tree Martins.
There is also a Cattle Egret which is uncommon in Broome.
I also saw two Australian Magpies on the new oval behind the aquatic
centre. These are the first I have seen in the town. They are usually out
on Roebuck Plains.
_________________________________________________________________
Frank O'Connor Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au
Phone : (08) 9386 5694 Email :
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