Kakadu Beach bird roost count 25 Feb 2024

Dear reader

Surprisingly, given how quiet the Passage was because of the light rain, numbers were a little down at the roost today, with the vast majority being Bar-tailed Godwits (1760) and Great Knot (320).  It is possible that some birds are leaving on their great migration north for the breeding season on the Yukon tundra, but it maybe that the rain kept disturbing humans away and there was less incentive to come to the roost.  All of the Toorbul roost came over in one great mass of godwits and knots, but there are other sandbars up the Passage where birds can shelter as long as the tide is not huge and people do not disturb them.  However, my view is that some birds are leaving to travel north. The Curlews (51) are way down on the numbers (400+) that were present back in September last year, and many are in their deep golden brown breeding plumage, so perhaps some are already leaving for Siberia.

It is really disappointing that this year we have had very few smaller waders – sand plovers, stints, etc. And today we had no Australian terns and only 4 Pied Stilts, which are usually present in large numbers. 

Again, it may be the unusual weather patterns we are having, or the flood rains further north and west. However, it shows the value of long term observations to monitor the populations and see which species are under threat.

For some reason, possibly just the spatial distribution of the flock, we had a number of

very early leg flags today, with some old friends, AKA and ASE, who I have recorded numerous times since 2012. 

At this time of the year, when the birds are coming into breeding plumage, it is so much easier to determine which are males (those with chestnut underparts) and females (larger with a longer bill). The flocks are becoming very colourful, so take the opportunity to see them in resplendent spangled silver and black (knots) and chestnut and barred browns (godwits).

Warm regards

Michael

Ibis use 'stress and wash' technique to eat poisonous cane toads

The Australian White Ibis is a common sight on Bribie Island and is often referred to as a 'bin chicken' because of its varied diet. But did you know that they can eat cane toads?

Report from Kakadu Beach bird hide 31 December 2023

Numbers were down from the previous record week – only a mere 2800 compared to nearly 4000 a few days earlier.   I think the heavy boat traffic over the New Year kept some birds at Toorbul, but I also speculate on whether the fireworks displays on News Years Eve also has an impact.  I was talking to a lady in the hide about the fragility of the webs that connect our natural world, and what we do to impact and also maintain them. We might not think of the consequences of sending rockets and shooting stars at night over the mudflats!

Despite the shortage of curlews and godwits, the Great Knots were present in big numbers again. Also the Red-capped Plovers (who don’t migrate) were huddled up against the sand ridge near the northern end. There has been a new round of banded godwits with green leg flags starting with ‘H’ and ‘J’, and we had several that were nice and easy to read.  If anyone spots a leg flag during their early morning scan with a scope and can record it for me, I will add it to the records.  It makes such a difference when you look at a flock of 3000 grey-brown godwits that all look pretty similar and then suddenly there is a leg flag and that bird becomes an individual that we can track across timeless oceans and far distant tundras! There was still AKB out there, banded I think in 2015 as an  adult, so this was special.

There was a sighting reported in the news ‘Rare sighting’: why this visitor is so special | OurSC   but they would only have to come to KBBR to see lots of green leg flags!!!  The problem is reading the engraved numbers after a few years as they become worn and dirty.