Rain at the BBO

The rumours are true. Rain fell, puddles formed and the road was closed. On May26, we woke up to heavy rain, which continued well into the next day. We all placed our guesses as to how much rain we would receive - we all wildly underestimated. The rain was sitting at 123mm a day later, which resulted in big, deep puddles across the roads and a very soggy Ozzie (our resident Osprey).

Never did we imagine that the road closure and puddles would last as long as they did. Three weeks on from this rain event and we are finally back to normal operations and we are delighted to have guests and day visitors return to the BBO.

Testing out to see how deep the puddles on the road were while practicing our fishing skills!

What it means to be rained in.

While we were bummed about having to close the BBO, it gave us time to tick off some important projects that have been on our never ending to – do list. We spent lots of time working away some special jobs and maintenance activities, while we had the opportunity with no guests. With some hard work we gained our Accessible Tourism accreditation and are working towards our EcoStar accreditation through the Tourism Council WA. It's all part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability and inclusivity.

Bird Missions

We went out on bird missions each day to improve our bird ID skills, with our very own BBO bird specialist, Dave. We had some incredible encounters with bustards wandering the plains, Black-necked storks at sunrise and the crowd favourite; dancing Brolgas! After seeing reports on ebird of Letter Winged Kites around the region never did we imagine it would come to rest on the Plains. After getting word that the letter winged kite was waiting for us nearby, two minutes later we were in the car with scopes, binoculars and pancakes in tow. When we got into position with the scope, the kite was perfectly perched in a tree, providing spectacular views. Now we know what all the fuss is about.

While we worked very hard during the closure, we also made time to enjoy the rare quietness of Roebuck Bay. It was nice to have a day or two where it was cool enough to put on a jumper, drink lots of tea and play games. After our office duties we refined our mud crabbing skills (which are minimal for some of us) and enjoyed the trill of wandering through the flats trying to find Mud Crabs! Our hunt on one evening was successful, and we enjoyed some delicious Mud Crab for the first time. We tested out our ability to take photos while mud boarding, which requires much skill and some preparation. This isn’t for the faint hearted. You come back covered in the dense mud of roebuck bay, while sliding your way towards the tide line, while trying to keep your camera clean. It was a surreal experience for our wardens to be in amongst the shorebirds while they forage. Staying low on your board doesn’t disturb them when you sit and wait amongst the mudskippers and crabs. Our Warden Jamie and Assistant Warden Caitlin braved the mud and mastered the art of mud boarding, capturing absolutely stunning shots of our shorebird species. Some of their pictures can be seen below!

Family Dinner Nights

One of our favourite parts about being rained in was our BBO family dinner nights. After a day of working around the observatory we would come together to have themed dinners and games nights, where much laughter and memories were shared. After the road opened and the puddles cleared, we said goodbye to our two amazing camp host’s Robin & Fran with a traditional BBO sendoff. We welcomed our new camp host Mads, be sure to say hi when you come and visit us.

Thats Brolgas! A Story of Rain & Road Closures at The Broome Bird Observatory