Kakadu Beach Bird Roost report: 30 March 2025

Quite a lot of news today!

After the very heavy rain of yesterday I wondered what might be on the roost this morning and whether our shorebirds had left – they are usually gone by the end of March.  However, the king tide had brought one of the largest numbers counted this year – 2434.  And almost all were in breeding plumage ready for that inspiring flight north, the male godwits looking handsome with their chestnut plumage while the longer-billed females were plump and ready to go to the Alaskan tundra. Terry Burgess recorded some Red Knots this week, but I couldn't find any in the huge mass of birds crowding up on the higher parts of the roost as the tide came in. The hide was equally crowded as well and I was able to talk to lots of people about the amazing flights our shorebirds make and the biology of the simple existence between high and low tides and the exotic countries they would have to fly over en route to northern climes.  

Because the godwits spread along the roost and I had some help from generous folk in the hide I was able to collect some 38 leg flags, including our amazing ASE, the girl who has flown over 255,000 km since being banded in 2013.  She was fat and contented, lolling on the water’s edge in the safety of our Australian autumn.  I fervently hope she makes it safely north and back again next September.

Unfortunately, a jet ski pulled in the southern end and many birds reluctantly took flight – they are trying to save as much energy and fat reserves as possible. However, our trusty MBRC rangers serendipitously happened to be on site and immediately warned them off.  We are really missing the seaward warning signs that we have been trying to get replaced after they were vandalized, because they do give a greater protection from boaties and jet skis who otherwise see the beach as a convenient place to land.  Thanks to Paul Cuddihy, we discovered this week that Google Maps has been advertising Kakadu Beach roost as a good place to walk!  I wonder when that got put up?

Last week I witnessed a most extraordinary sight, when you wish for a camera.  A large Pied Cormorant swimming just off the roost caught a metre long sea snake, probably an Olive-headed sea snake Hydrophis major, which grows over a metre long and found in Moreton Bay waters. The bird was trying to swallow it, but the snake wrapped itself around the bird’s neck.  The cormorant dived several times but sea snakes can stay underwater for up to two hours,  so this didn’t work.  At length it managed to get the snake’s head throatwards and with a mighty effort swallowed it.   Ten minutes later, it caught another much smaller sea snake, which suggests they are reasonably common in the Passage.

Darren Jew also sent an extraordinary photo taken off Woorim on Friday of a massed flock of terns (see attached photo).  I thought initially most of them were Little Terns, but from another photo they turned (no pun please) out to be predominantly Common Terns – around 4800 of them!   I was able to get a rough count on my computer.  This is amazing because we used to get Commons (actually they are quite uncommon) at Kakadu Beach many years ago but now they are quite unusual visitors.  Some 240 Great Crested Terns and a possible Sooty Tern were also in the mix.  It just shows what can use our beaches when dogs are on leashes and people are inside sheltering from the rain!

Photo courtesy of Daren Jew

Photo courtesy of Daren Jew