Eager to test the latest techniques and technology to support our shorebird surveys, the team recently launched the NICA drone to capture aerial footage of shorebirds. Guided by the latest research on this survey technique and flying at a considerable vertical and offset distance so as not to alarm the shorebirds (and terns), our drone operator Klaus patiently captured numerous high-definition aerial photos of the resting shorebirds and terns in the Noosa River. The team is currently reviewing the footage to identify species abundance and biodiversity for comparison with the painstaking on-ground survey work also undertaken on the day. A timely test of this new capability, our migratory shorebirds will shortly depart our shores for the long migration to their northern summer breeding grounds.