Another succesful day at the Broome Bird Observatory, though no new waders. I set off this morning to see if I could find any new sandpipers but the high tide wasn't very high and I didn't have any luck. I did find a flock of dark morph Pacific Reef-Herons, a couple of which cooperated with me. I moved on and started photographing a flock of Lesser Crested Terns, a new bird for me. I was concentrating on photographing a couple of the birds when all of a sudden they all took off. Looking up I found a Brahminy Kite had flushed them and was circling around the area. I quickly changed my settings and started photographing this beautiful raptor as it flew around me. Eventually he left and the terns returned and I continued photograping them until the light was rather harsh.
I had to go into town to get a few things done at an internet cafe (galleries are updated so check them out). Eventually, I made it back to the observatory and spent a couple hours waiting out the heat of the day in the shde near the bird baths. At one point, several Long-tailed Finches, another new bird, arrived and bathed for a few minutes. There was a continuous stream of birds ranging from the finches to a couple GreatBowerbirds and it really made for a nice way to spend a couple hours.
As evening approached, I returned to the mangroves at Crab Creek where I had seen so much yesterday. Unfortunately, today they were much quieter. All the same birds were there, just in fewer numbers and much more secretive. I ended up photographing a Dusky Gerygone which is a different race than the one I photographed last week as well as a Sacred Kingfisher before returning to the observatory after sunset.
Tomorrow morning I will be joining some of the observatory staff to do some banding of waders, if the tides and birds cooperate. I am really looking forward to it so hopefully I will get some new birds!
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