The Broome Bird Observatory is located on the northern shore of Roebuck Bay, Western Australia, 24km from Broome. This is one of the world’s most important shorebird sites with over 800,000 birds visiting each year. Migratory birds leave from here each autumn to feed and breed during Asia’s and Siberia’s short summer. Adult birds and chicks only weeks old retrace the 10,000 km journey to enjoy the Australian summer. They return to feed on Roebuck Bay’s rich mudflats replenished by tides of up to 10 metres.
At high tide shorebirds congregate on the beaches of Roebuck Bay.
Run by Birdlife Australia, the Observatory provides an educational and scientific facility with accommodation for visitors and resident guides who facilitate regular tours, courses and manage the research facilities.
The red soil meets the blue waters of Roebuck Bay, a surreal background for this visiting Black-necked Stork.
On our tour of beaches near the Observatory last month (November is Broome’s hottest month!) we were lucky to be guided by Nile and Jane, enthusiastic and knowledgeable bird watchers. We saw many shorebirds including Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits, Whimbrels, Curlews, Redshanks and Greenshanks, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Terek, Sharp-tailed, Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Great Knots and Turnstones. Seven species of Tern and Pacific Golden, Grey, Greater Sand and Red-capped Plovers contributed to our shore and land-bird total of 53 species for the morning’s visit. Never to be forgotten was the beach with an estimated 7,000 birds, settling then rising and swirling as a Brahminy Kite flew over.
A passing Brahminy Kite raises a cloud of birds: Godwits, Curlew Sandpipers, Greenshanks and Great Knots.