Latest update on Robbie the Bittern in Long Swamp

Latest update on Robbie the Bittern in Long Swamp

The latest update from the Bitterns in Rice project has come through, and can be seen here.

The following paragraph from the update (by Matt Herring) relates to our very own Long Swamp resident, Robbie the Bittern:

“Robbie has now been at Long Swamp for eight weeks. It’s clear, he loves it there and as you can see below, he’s had a good look around, carving it up. But what will Robbie do next? Much to our surprise, Debbie Sullivan from Birdlife Australia has recently heard booming males over in south-western Western Australia. It seems conditions are right and the males at least are raring to get the breeding season underway. It makes us think about young Robbie and his future breeding prospects. He’ll perhaps be a little too young, but it’s not out of question that he’ll attempt to breed in his first year. If he is an early starter, the key question remains: will he return to the rice to breed or try and woo a local female down on the coast with his deep booms? Time will tell.”

An image showing Robbie’s movements in Long Swamp – courtesy Matt Herring, Bitterns in Rice project

Mark Bachmann