French Island
24-25th March 2007
Weather: Saturday strong SW wind, clearing, occasionally heavy, showers. Sunday
Morning pleasant, sunny breaks, low 20s with moderate SW wind.
Present: Stuart Dashper, Chris and Rosemary Lester, Scott Chandry and Helen
Mitchell, Tim Dolby and Fiona Parkin.
King Quail survey technique: Formed a single line with individuals approx. 2-3
metres apart and then walked through heath. Occasionally stopped and used
playback of call.
Itinerary.
Saturday 10.30 am arrive at corner of Clump and Link rds. Walk east along Link
rd. until the first north-south firebreak walked south then turned east along a
firebreak that runs parallel to Link rd that approx. four year old regrowth on
the northern side. Walked along this firebreak for about a kilometre then
walked south along a firebreak with four-five year regrowth to the east. Then
completed the square back to the EW firebreak by walking along the south and
eastern firebreaks of this block. After this walked to Mt Wellington track
where we were picked up at 2.30 pm.
At 4 pm walked from the Tortoise Head Guesthouse to Tortoise Head high tide
roost, arriving at ~5.00 pm, high tide was a little after 6 pm although water
level was very high when we arrived with many waders roosting. After 30 min
returned to the Guesthouse arriving at 6.30 pm. Picked up Seal skull on the
foreshore.
Sunday 8.30 am arrived at end of Mt Wellington rd. Walked to eastern end of
heath on Link rd. walked the full length of the EW firebreak, with detours down
southern firebreaks. At 11.30 am walked south along Clump rd stopping at Clump
Lagoon, which was dry. Picked up at 12.30 near the Pinnacles.
Habitat notes: Even after considerable rain on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th
the low lying heathy areas that we surveyed were very dry. The heath was mainly
1 m in height and varied in composition and density dependent largely on the
aspect of the ground, lower lying areas being more dense. Clump Lagoon was
completely dry.
Result: No King Quails were observed. A single snake, possibly a Red-bellied
Black Snake was seen. In general bird activity was low especially on Saturday.
The absence of Superb Fairy-wren in this clearly suitable habitat is intriguing.
Annotated Bird List.
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus Common
Australasian Gannet Morus serrator Two off Tortoise Head
Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Great Egret Ardea alba Single off Tortoise Head
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae Common around Tankerton
Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca Common, widespread
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia 20-30 around Tankerton
Black Swan Cygnus atratus Abundant
Cape Barren Goose Cereopsis novaehollandiae 4-5 in field near
General Store
Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides Common
Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata
Chestnut Teal Anas castanea
Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Single off Tortoise Head
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans Single in heath north of Link
rd.
Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus Single near south end
of Coast rd.
Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax Two around Tortoise Head
Brown Falcon Falco berigora
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris 20 at Tortoise Head - high tide
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles Abundant, widespread
Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis 30+ Tortoise Head -
high tide
Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus few at Tortoise Head - high tide
Double-banded Plover Charadrius bicinctus few at Tortoise Head - high tide
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 10+ at Tortoise Head - high tide
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis common Tortoise Head
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 15-20 Tortoise Head - high tide
Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus Single from ferry
Pacific Gull Larus pacificus
Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia 3 Tortoise Head - high tide
Crested Tern Sterna bergii 10+ Tortoise Heads - high tide
Spotted Turtle-Dove Streptopelia chinensis
Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
Brush Bronzewing Phaps elegans Single Link rd
Galah Cacatua roseicapilla Single flock near General Store
Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius Common
Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma Few widespread
Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis Single Clump Swamp
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena Abundant
Tree Martin Hirundo nigricans Few at Clump Swamp
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike oracina novaehollandiae Widespread
Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis Few in heath around Link rd
Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys Widespread
Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa Few near Mt Wellington
Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis Single near Mt Wellington
Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis Few around Mt Wellington
Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica
White-browed Scrubwren ericornis frontalis
Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa
Striated Thornbill Acanthiza lineata
Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera Single flock near Mt
Wellington
Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum 5+ around Mt Wellington
Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus
Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus
Silvereye Zosterops lateralis
White-eared Honeyeater Lichenostomus leucotis
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Phylidonyris melanops Common in hth along Link rd
Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala Few near General Store
Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata
New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae Abundant in hth along
Link rd
Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus Two at farm dam near Mt
Wellington
Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus Widespread
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen Common, widespread
Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor Common, widespread
Australian Raven Corvus coronoides
Little Raven Corvus mellori
Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
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