Yesterday we watched waves of short tailed shearwaters passing through the
strait spearating Magnetic Island from the mainland (Townsville) in North
Queensland. This is an annual occurance as SE winds blow the birds
inshore en route to their breeding grounds in Bass Strait.
My question is: where do they go after Townsville? To they track down the
coast or do they fly futher out to sea before heading south?
I have emailed Jon Wren at Bowen to keep a look out for them, but if
anyone else along the east coast sights them, could you let me know? The
guidebooks are all very vague when it comes to pelagic seabird movements
and i am trying to build up a more accurate picture.
The only other shearwater frequently found around Townsville is the wedge
tailed shearwater which nests on islands in the Barrier Reef. Other
vagrants recorded over the past few years include a sooty shearwater and a
huttons shearwater, both blown in by winter storms.
Cheers
Alex Appleman
|
