Satellite tagged whimbrel 2017 – here we go again!

Migration just started again for our satellite tagged Whimbrels. After the non-breeding season in Australia, it is a delight that all three satellite tags are still working fine.

During the Broome Bird Observatory’s Public Migration Watch on 14-Apr-18, about 100 interested members from the public witnessed probably 500 Whimbrels departing Roebuck Bay with another 550 shorebirds at dusk. Two days later, on 16-Apr-18 morning, signals show that satellite tagged Whimbrel JX was flying pass Sulawesi, Indonesia (approximately 1,650km from Broome).

As a measure to conserve solar battery power, our satellite transmitter switch “OFF” for 48 hours after each 10 hours “ON” period. Unfortunately, the migration happened during the “OFF” hours and therefore the exact departing time of JX cannot be determined.

JX northward flight continued and entered Southern China Sea this morning. At 11am today it was just about 500km away from landing. Two days later when the transmitter is switch “ON” again, its first landing location will be revealed.

You might still remember that JX didn’t flew to the breeding ground in Siberia last year and stayed in Palawan, the Philippines for more than 3 months before coming back to Broome. So, it is of big interest whether it will make it to the breeding ground this year.

Meanwhile, KU and LA are still at Roebuck Bay and Eighty Miles Beach respectively. It is expected that they will start migration at any moment.