Dear Birding-Ausers,
Here are a few Fraser Island Observations for Sept 1999.
Fraser Island Observations - Sept 1999
Fraser Island is located off the south Queensland coast near
Maryborough. For those who don't know Fraser Island, there are about
130 km of beach on the eastern side, 125km of which is a highway.
September 1999 was a little different on the beach (including the fact
that every male in our group was RBT'd). Beach sand was at a low level
for September exposing a lot of beach rock (coffee rock) and leaving
sand 'cliffs' at the high water mark instead of the usual low step-up to
the vegetated area in front of the high frontal dunes. Yellow topped
'wands' in rows near Dundaburra look like some sort of erosion study is
taking place. There has been a lot of rain. The forests are vigorously
putting on new growth and the heath and wallum areas also look green and
growing. Some walking tracks in the vicinity of lakes are underwater.
At low tide, huge fans of fresh water cover the beach rather more than
is usual, I think.
Reports from Fraser Island are fairly scarce on Birding-aus. I only see
the Island in September and I would be glad of some comment on this time
of the year and comparison with other times. We have been surf fishing
there yearly since 1985 and I do try to fit in some birding but mostly
it is a matter of writing down what I see from a vehicle, including the
location, rather than actively seeking out the birds. I can't imagine
how this sort of observation fits in with atlassing. I'll take advice
on that. Birding doesn't take an entire back seat when the fish are
on. It is impossible to ignore a White-bellied Sea Eagle fishing the
same gutter as you. Even from over your shoulder it is hard to miss the
noisy, semi-comic turn of four Torresian Crows seeing off the resident
Brahminy Kite then mobbing it in order to steal the fish frame it
unearthed from a buried cache on the beach. Crested Terns working over
a gutter are a good indicator of bait-fish and therefore bigger fish.
They also make their presence felt at filleting time. Mostly their
cries go unrewarded as burying the fish frames is de rigueur.
The usual population was on the beach including common species such as
White-faced Heron and Masked Lapwing. Crested Terns were present in
great abundance, more than for several years Several large flocks
looked at home on the exposed rocks. Between the Cathedrals Beach
Resort and Indian Head (25 km) there were conservatively 250 just above
the low-tide waterline or fishing the breakers. The bright red bill of
a lone Caspian Tern stood out in one big flock.
At low tide we counted 16 Red-capped Dottrels between The Cathedrals
Beach Resort and Cornwell's Break Road (28.5 km). These birds were
always in the same place, either alone or in pairs. We spotted only 1
R-c D in the 25 km strip from The Cathedrals Beach Resort to Indian Head
(25km), (low tide).
There were 11 Pied Oystercatchers between the "Mahino" (wreck) and
Indian Head, always in the same place but always in pairs except for one
single bird just north of the "Mahino".
Five White-bellied Sea eagles were spotted in the 25 km Cathedrals to
Indian Head strip plus 2 Brahminy Kites. This is probably a low figure
as the juveniles were not staying up for very long in the strong
winds. Perhaps the winds were also responsible for the rubbish on the
beach as some was clearly jetsam.
The dawn chorus in the lee of the dunes got me out of bed at first light
to identify a Little Shrike-Thrush. It has a mellifluous call very well
described in Slater (1989) and quite a contrast to the harsh call of the
Blue-faced Honeyeaters.
There was no sign of Black-breasted Button Quail (platelets or noise of
scratching) in an area where I have seen it previously.
Please contact me if you would like my complete list.
Regards,
Ros Laundon.
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