** Stowaway on Board **

UPDATE ON BIRD – From Native Animal Rescue: Broome. Millie was turned over to the Balinese authorities as protected Australian Wildlife. She is in quarantine in Bali and Australia has requested special permission to return Millie to Australia. Once she is returned home, she will be held in captivity as an educational animal.

First of all, we’ve been busy but promise I will post more about what’s been going on soon under ‘where are we now’. For now, I wanted to tell you about our stowaway on board! A Black Kite joined us as we sailed away from Broome, our last stop in Australia! Several people caught her and tried to get her to fly away but she keep coming back. The captain and other officers got in touch with the Australian port and it turns out her name is MILLY. She was raised by a woman when she was orphaned which explains why she wasn’t afraid of humans. We think she was afraid of a thunderstorm that was rumbling behind us and by the time it passed, we were too far away from land for her to go home. She’s our new celebrity guest and is being well taken care of. In fact, the captain is making arrangements for her to catch a ship heading from Bali to Broome so she can get home. There are a few questions still to be answered as to if she’ll have to quarantine in Bali or even in Broome when she returns. Australia has strict and funky rules with these types of situations. In the meantime, she is fed and watered and has been the star in many pictures and stories.

FYI, the Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey. They are opportunistic hunters and spend most time soaring and gliding while scavenging for food. A kite is part of the Accipitridae family which also includes other types of raptors that are active during the day.