Spoonbills change their haunt

For the past several weeks a flock of Royal Spoonbills has been building up in the Lagoon near Broome Street.  On the morning of 4 July they were disturbed by a passing immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle and took off.  Later in the day I noticed them out on a small island in the Inlet.  As far as I can tell this island has no official name.

On the morning of 5 July the spoonbills and the usual Australian Pelicans were still in place.

 This image of a Pelican taking off deserved its own place in this blog.

 On peering closely a pair of the spoonbills were engaged in a fair bit of what ornithologists would refer to as allopreening (or, in New York speak, "making nice"). 

 Although such behaviour isn't cited in HANZAB as a prelude to breeding I suggest we need to keep an eye open for them starting to build nests sometime soon.  A further hint would be if they are seen flying around with sticks in their beak.  From a nesting event I followed closely in Canberra I'd suggest that some of the tall shrubs in the Lagoon would make suitable nest sites.

2 Pacific Gulls were also on the small island, with this one exploring something yucky on the mud.

Having started a birdie post I thought I would include (why? because I can) a snap of three Pelicans in flight I took a few days ago.