Hi Greg,
An interesting puzzle. I can only note that honeyeaters can have very strange
reactions to islands and they seem very averse to crossing water. In Townsville
there are about 35 species of honeyeater (including vagrants). On Magnetic
Island there are only 3 (Brown-backed, Dusky and Helmeted Friarbird). It is 4
km from Pallarenda on the mainland where at least 12 honeyeaters regularly
occur in the same kinds of habitats present on Magnetic Island. The migratory
Noisy and Little Friarbirds and Yellow-faced Honeyeater never take on the
treacherous 4 km of calm tropical bay. Brown Honeyeater was supposedly scarce
in Townsville until the Ross River Dam completed in '74 turned 'Mt Isa by the
sea' into the palm tree and green lawn-studded "Capital of North Qld' we see
today. Now there seems to be both resident and irruptive individuals of this
locally abundant species. Still, that nasty 4 km of water has stopped them
reaching land's end. Even
Varied and Mangrove honeyeaters don't cross the gulf.
North Stradbroke's a little different, with all those mangroves and islands at
the south end forming a sort of tree bridge. There's no more than 400-500 m of
open water maybe. Quite a few more honeyeaters occur there than do on Still, I
think times might be very desperate for the honeyeaters to leave. If the
honeyeaters did leave or if they died off, reestablishment could be quite a
slow process. Perhaps this would occur through breeding up of the remnant
populations before recolonisation across the water?
Silvereyes don't mind flying over water, of course.
--- On Thu, 27/1/11, Greg Roberts <> wrote:
From: Greg Roberts <>
Subject: Stradbroke Island birds
To:
Received: Thursday, 27 January, 2011, 10:43 AM
A friend of mine living on North Stradbroke Island has sent me this note:
"Straddie birdwatchers are puzzled by the almost complete disappearance of
white cheeked honey eaters for the past two season and this year also brown
honey eaters and silver eyes. Have you heard any similar stories?"
Presumably this is related to flowering cycles, but in many years of
visiting North Stradbroke Island, I have never NOT seen White-cheeked and
Brown honeyeaters in abundance. Certainly on the Sunshine Coast, both
species are as numerous as always. Any thoughts on this?
Greg
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