Sept-Nov 09:  Migratory Birds are now returning and we are seeing a good range on our cruises where the Inter-tidal feeding banks are exposed. 

July 09:  Seeing alot of Spoonbill flocks in the Passage feeding, plus quite a few Brahminy kite pairs getting ready to breen and building nests.  the mail jabiru is also out and about, however have not seen the female in recent weeks - we'll be keeping an eye out, and once she is spotted, hopefully there will be chicks to follow!!

May/June 2009:   Throughout the last few months a good range of birds have been sighted even though the migratory birds have left for the northern hemisphere.  the jabiru were seen regularly and looked to be nesting for a second time this season, however.......

Due to the recent heavy rains in May, the iconic JABIRU NEST that could be clearly seen at Lime Pocket was lost with half the tree it was in.  it looks that over time, the weight of the nest and the heavy rains finally took their toll.  We are unsure as to what has happened to the chicks as we believe there were some in the nest after seeing the adults feeding them in the weeks prior. 

Nov/Dec 2008

The general range of birds have been sighted recently, with the local jabiru being seen regularly, although fantastic weather with lots of boat traffic have kept sightings to a minimum.   The list of other birds that have been sighted in one day by a bird watching group included:

{B) – breeding}  Australian Brush Turkey, Black Swan, Chestnut Teal, Brown Booby, Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Pied Cormorant, Little Black Cormorant, Australian Pelican,  White-faced Heron, Little Egret, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Striated Heron, Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Osprey, Whistling Kite, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew, Common Greenshank, Grey-tailed Tattler, Great Knot, Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Oystercatcher, Black-winged Stilt, Red-capped Plover, Masked Lapwing, Silver Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Crested Tern, Crested Pigeon, Rainbow Lorikeet,  Pale-headed Rosella, Tawny Frogmouth (B), Laughing Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Dollarbird, White-throated Treecreeper, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Mangrove Gerygone, Striped Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Mangrove Honeyeater, Brown  Honeyeater, Eastern Yellow Robin, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Leaden Flycatcher, Magpie-lark, Rufous Fantail, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Olive-backed Oriole, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Torresian Crow and Silvereye.

Aug/Sept/Oct 2008:

The local jabiru (black neck stork) parents have been teaching their baby to feed so we have seen them regularly out on the tidal banks.

Lots of birds of prey, and now seeing a good range of migratory birds if the tide is low when we cruise.

June/July 2008:

We recently sighted a flock of spoonbills feeding just north of Donnybrook plus heaps of Osprey, White Bellied Sea Eagles, Whistlers, and Brahminy Kites flying around.  A couple of these were ripping their fresh caught fish apart and feeding on the exposed sand banks as we cruised past.

The Jabiru/Black Necked stork pair are also nesting up at Lime Pocket with 1 adult always on the nest with the other out feeding.  Their chicks have hatched and we have watched them being fed.  Wow!

We also have spotted a pair of Brolgas recently which was a real treat.  They were not overly concerned with us and wandered the exposed banks as we cruised past.  Their beautiful red heads were clearly visible.

May 08

Black necked Stork recently sighted at Donnybrook as well as Whistling Kites, Ospreys and White Bellied Sea Eagles