birding-aus

terns at Lancelin, WA

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Subject: terns at Lancelin, WA
From: Frank O'Connor <>
Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2012 01:35:33 +0800

Janine Duffy asked about some terns she saw recently at Lancelin north of Perth. The photo is very blurred, but I certainly would expect them to be Roseate Terns as she suggested. There is a small population of Roseate Terns that breed in the south of WA in the winter. I have seen them in the past at Rottnest Island, Shoalwater Bay and Geraldton Boat Harbour. So I am not surprised that they would be at Lancelin.

Roseate Terns are very interesting in WA. Noone knows exactly how many populations there are.

There is a much larger population that arrives in the south west in spring and breeds in places such as the Abrolhos Islands. You can get colonies of 1000 birds.

There are large numbers also off the Pilbara and Kimberley coasts. I have seen a flock of 1000+ near the Monte Bello Islands in late October. I have seen a flock of ~10000 at the Lacepede Islands in late October, and I believe they do breed there (not certain what month). I have seen large flocks offshore from Barred Creek just north of Broome. There are good numbers on the beaches around Broome in November mixed in with a larger flock of Common Terns at places such as the port, near Gantheaume Point, Coconut Wells, Barred Creek and James Price Point.

Some of these must be non breeding birds from the northern hemisphere. We have caught, banded and leg flagged some birds in Broome (<50 from memory), but as far as I am aware there have yet to be any resightings in the northern hemisphere.


_________________________________________________________________
Frank O'Connor           Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au
Phone : (08) 9386 5694 Email :
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