Heron Island- The Amazing Birds and Sea Life

 

Welcome to Heron Island

Heron Island sunrise

Our arrival on Heron Island on October 18 till 23, coincided with the nesting season of the White Capped Black Noddy Tern, Anous minutus  which arrives to breed on the coral cay islands from October to January.   Normally 30-70 thousand pairs breed on the island, but have had up to 120 k pairs.  The preferred nesting tree is the Pisonia tree which only grows on coral cays.  Every tree had multiple nests. The Pisonia tree has an unusual relationship with the terns in that at the end of the nesting season in January its seeds become very sticky and trap some terns and other birds to the extent that they can no longer fly and starve to death only to serve as fertiliser for the hungry trees.

The Noddy nests are a very rudimentary structure of  dead Pisonia leaves and bird poop,  The males collect leaves and present them to the females for consideration.  She may accept or reject the leaves by dropping them.  Some males have found that dipping the leaves in sea water makes them more acceptable. The Noddys generally raise 2 chicks one after the other.  If the first chick dies the female divorces the male and finds another mate for the second attempt. 

Noddys Anous minutus feeding at nest

 Also nesting on the island at this time is the Wedged Tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus which nests in burrows about 2m long all over the island.  At night you need to watch where you tread as they tend to lay outside of the burrows and are easily trod on.  The vision of the shearwaters is like polarised sunglasses and this makes them almost blind on land at night.  Together with rear positioned legs they are prone to bump into trees etc when coming in to land at their burrows.

The common nesting Tern is the Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus  a ground nester.  

Bridled Tern in flight

Bridled Tern  Sterna anaethetus 

Most of the birds simply ignore you as you pass or hop a meter out of your way.

Less friendly are the Eastern Reef Egrets Egreeta sacra  who tend to have a wider comfort zone of 3-5m.  Both the light and dark forms are present in large numbers and are also nesting at this time and have large hungry chicks.  The chicks are not friendly to each other and generally only one will survive to fledge.

 

Eastern Reef Egret Egreeta sacra

Eastern Reef Egret chick on nest

Eastern Reef Egret Egreeta sacra dark form

The Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis is very common on the island and have distinct defended territories in which they lay up-to 11 eggs, but usually only one or two will survive predation by the Egrets and gulls.  The mothers are very protective but are unable to deter the hungry Egrets. 

Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis

Rail with chicks

Capricorn Silver-eye Zosterpos chlorocephala

This is a distinct Barrier Reef island form, yellower above, whiter below.  It does not interbreed with the more common Zosterpos familiaris which occurs in eastern Australia as far north as Rockhampton.

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

The Ruddy Turnstone were in non-breeding plumage.

Ruddy Turnstones - in flight

Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes

Grey-tailed Tattlers breed in Siberia.  When feeding, they dart about bobbing and teetering between runs in their search for crabs, mollusks, sometimes fish.

Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Pied Oystercatchers mate for life and are unable to survive as a single bird.

Brown Booby Sula leucogaster

The Brown Booby is a bird of the tropical oceans and ranges, in Australia, from Brisbane north to Dampier in Western Australia.  They prefer to roost on solid objects and nest on the ground.  This particular bird had lost its mate.

Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana

This tern breeds in colonies on rocky islands and headlands.

Black-naped Tern

During a walk at dawn on the beaches, you will find laying Turtles both Green Chelonia midas and Loggerheads Caretta caretta.   More often one just finds tracks as most turtles have returned to the sea by daybreak.

Up the beach

Green Turtle track up the beach.

Nest sites

Green turtle nest site along side a protected Loggerhead turtle nest. The Loggerhead turtle is Critically Endangered so the nests are protected when found. 

Job done!

A female Green Turtle returns to the relative safety of the water.

On the Reef

Shark Ray Rhina ancylostoma

Eagle Ray Myliobatis australis

Very common around the jetty and shallow reefs around the island.

Manta Ray Manta alfredi

Manta Rays are classified as Vulnerable, largely due to overfishing.  Other threats include climate change, sediment run-off, pollution, rising sea temperatures.

Epaulette Shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum

Frequently seen while one is enjoying walking on the reef.

Black-tipped Reef Sharks

Many types of coral can be seen during the glass-bottomed boat cruise.  Identification remains elusive.

Sea cucumbers

Starfish on reef

Wreck of HMCS Protector

On 19 June 1884, HMCS Protector was ready for service. In July 1943, en-route to New Guinea for service with the US Navy and off Gladstone, she was damaged in a collision with a tug and abandoned.  The hull was taken to its present place at Heron Island and later sunk for use as a breakwater.

Sunset over the wreck

Text & Photographs: Ian Smith

 

 

                          

                                              

Springbrook Birds Queensland Campout 2020

 Reflections from a weekend away at Springbrook, in Tallebudgera Valley, with Birds Queensland.

 

 Thursday 20th August – We arrived, after lunch, at Ankida the private property where we were staying.   

Rainforest Conservancy property

This 205 hectare property was gifted to the Rainforest Conservancy in 2009 and 2010.  The name, a Sumerian word, means “Where Heaven and Earth meet”.  We can vouch that this is true. It is a Nature Refuge, protected under State legislation. Unfortunately, this weekend was one of the coldest and windiest lately recorded so birds especially were hard to spot. The primary objective of this weekend was to carry out a comprehensive bird survey.  On a walk,

Kerrie discovered, to us, a new species of Violet (Viola silicestris) which is native to higher altitude areas such as Springbrook and Lamington NP. 

Viola silicestris

There were also large patches of the Blunt Green hood (Pterostylis curta) flowering on both sides of the track. 

Pterostylis curta

Throughout the property, bright yellow flowers of Mountain Guinea Flower (Hibbertia monticola) glowed in their dark green foliage and the white heads of the native Raspberry (Robus rosifolius) with their large pale green stamens, proved a hit with the tiny native bees.  

Hibbertia monticola

Robus rosifolius

Large-fruited Raspberry (Robus probus) was also found.

Friday – 5am Woken by the loud pre-dawn calls of the Whip birds and  Brown Thornbills.  

Brown Thornbill

Nearby the Rifle Bird was heard.  It was keeping out of sight.  Later in the afternoon a white form of the Grey Goshawk hovered over the campsite, shining in the afternoon sun.  No photo unfortunately.  A stunning Golden Whistler bathed in a garden pond.

Golden Whistler

A carefully constructed Bower of the Satin Bowerbird, at the entrance to 'Ankida', on the edge of the driveway, displayed (among other blue things) a bright blue child’s dummy.

Bower on edge of driveway

Friday 21st August - Twinfalls Circuit 4km  After an early start, we walked first across the top of the escarpment where we enjoyed the early Spring  blooms of wild flowers such as the white Pom Pom like flowers of the tall (Phebalium Leionema elatius ),two species of Zieria, (arborescens subsp) which is native to Springbrook and (Zieria colina.)
 The large Golden heads of Hairpin Banksia (Banksia spinulosa) providing nectar for many honeyeaters and the perfumed yellow clusters of the lovely Cuttsia viburnea were a highlight. 

Phebalium Leionema

Zieria colina

Cuttsia viburnea

Down on the dark Rainforest floor the path wound through giant palms and tall Eucalypt trees with their branches covered in large Elk Horn Ferns. We walked behind two waterfalls

Behind the waterfall

Twin Falls track

and then made the trek back up the steep path, through the narrow path between the rocky walls covered in green ferns, back to the top of one of the many waterfalls. 

The high road & low road

Friday pm - This was a walk on the property to the Horseshoe Falls.  The pale yellow robin was heard but not seen.  The peregrine falcon also eluded us.  Ankida is home for the peregrine falcon, a bird which holds a special place in Sumerian belief.  These majestic birds are a fixture at Ankida.

On the edge

Over the edge

Below the edge

Saturday 22nd August - Morning Walk at 'Ankida' – A return, in search for the robin and the peregrine, to the top of the waterfall where we had beautiful views across the valley below.  The waters of the Hinze Dam were just visible in the distance.  

View from the top of the falls

Two Orchids in flower were observed on the cliffs opposite, King Orchid (Dendrobium speciosum) and Lily of the Valley Orchid (Dendrobium monophyllum).  Cameron was perched on the edge of the cliff to photograph the Horseshoe Falls tumbling down into the valley from Waterfall Creek! 

Dendrobium speciosum

Peregrine falcon - female

A pair of falcons appeared and provided a thrilling sight and many photo opportunities.  The pale yellow robin also made an appearance.

Saturday pm -  After lunch, the excursion was to Warblers, another Rain Forest Conservancy, which comprises of two properties.  They have been owned for some years and care has been ongoing.  Natural revegetation is occurring.  The biggest problem is an imported plant Aristea eklonii which has proven almost impossible to deal with.  Ongoing weeding has reduced the impact but seed has a long life of viability. Teams of committed volunteers have been donating their time for some years to this cause. 

Aristea eklonii

Near the gate, Kevin who works for RC, pointed out a Log runner’s nest.  It had been damaged and partly pulled apart.  There are Log runner families resident and breeding on these properties.  The nest had been damaged.

Log Runner's nest

A mystery tree, growing prolifically on the property, was apparent.  Identification proved elusive.    On returning to Gympie, a local revegetation contractor, Rick Sizer was consulted. He immediately knew its family – Proteacea – and it was positively identified as Orites excelsus or Mountain Silky Oak.  It was in full flower and, therefore, visible everywhere. 

Orites excelsus

Sunday am. -  An early morning drive to Best of all Lookouts allowed a viewing of the Antarctic beech trees Nothofagus moorei, a species which retreated to this area when Australia’s climate started to dry and areas of rainforest began to shrink. 

Walk to the Lookout

An eastern view

Northofagus moorei

Unfortunately, the resident Albert’s lyrebirds were either put off by the atrocious weather or our presence and so did not put in an appearance.   A return to pack up our gear followed on from a walk down Couchy Creek Road.  We had previously planned to venture further west to explore the Killarney, Stanthorpe and Warwick areas but more news reports of Covid and the continuing bad weather encouraged us to return to Gympie. 

Elusive Paradise Riflebird

Juvenile Crimson Rosella

Thanks, Burney Starkey, for organising this weekend.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.

Text: Kerrie

Photographs: Kerrie & Cameron