I salute you Alan for your effort in compiling this report. I thirst for
such knowledge and you sent it unsolicited and on a silver platter.
Re the last par: no mention of Harrington. Does this mean you haven't heard,
or the colony failed, or what? Someone reminded me this week that Little
Terns nest there.
Cheers,
Jill
--
Jill Dening
Sunshine Coast, Qld
26º 51' 152º 56'
Ph (07) 5494 0994
> From: "Alan Morris" <>
> Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 12:11:48 +1100
> To: <>
> Cc: "Tim Morris" <>
> Subject: [BIRDING-AUS] Update on Little Terns nesting at Karagi Pt The
> Entrance NSW
>
> LITTLE TERN KARAGI POINT COLONY THE ENTRANCE 2002-3
>
>
> BULLETIN No 4 18/01/03
>
>
> Size of Colony
>
> Nesting continues at Karagi Point despite the crush of summer beach
> fisherpersons, swimmers and walkers. Since nesting began on 14 November, there
> have been 64 clutches laid from which so far 72 chicks have hatched.
> Unfortunately high seas claimed from 3-5 nests, and of the 15 nests laid
> outside the fenced area which includes those washed away, only one was
> successful in hatching three chicks, the others all failed. These nests have
> been lost to the great crush of walkers during high tide and periods of heavy
> beach use when the walkers follow along the fence! Never-the-less, chicks have
> hatched from 28 nests but so far only thirteen chicks (13) have actually flown
> off with their parents, although another seven (7) chicks can fly and will
> hopefully fledge while ten (10) other chicks have hatched recently and most
> were known to be present on 18/1/03, all bar two have been banded, while there
> are still one clutch to hatch.
>
>
> Predation
>
> Predation of chicks is higher this year than the previous two years at this
> stage. No reports of chick predation have actually been received but a family
> of Australian Ravens (2A+2 dependant young) were feeding close to the boundary
> of the fenced area following the three days of rain one week before Christmas
> and this is when most of the chicks seemed to have disappeared (ie 27 chicks
> were counted on 9/12/02 while on 18/12/02 only 7 seven chicks were seen during
> the morning survey!)). However Silver Gulls, Nankeen Kestrel and a
> Black-shouldered Kite can all be seen near and over the colony.
>
>
> Banding & Colour-banding
>
> Darryl McKay came and banded 15 chicks from 30/12/02 & 17/1/03. Plans are in
> hand to colour-band nesting birds at the beginning of the next season, if
> nesting does take place then, to better track the breeding birds. So far this
> season 14 colour-banded birds have been detected at the colony. Most of these
> birds were nesting and information on their nesting behaviour, history and
> their partners has gradually been accruing. One colour-banded bird comes from
> Victoria, while others are from Wallis Lake, Lake Woollumboola and Towra
> Point. The oldest colour-banded bird was banded at Wallis Lake in 1991 A
> non-breeding Little Tern with white cap, black bill and legs was seen with
> other non-breeding birds sporting a blue flag on the left leg and a metal band
> on the right leg!
>
>
> Red-capped Plovers and other Birds
>
> Red-capped Plovers continue to nest in the colony and the fifth nest seen this
> season was observed on 30/12/02. While small chicks are regularly seen, half
> grown to almost fully grown chicks are rarely seen! Two White-winged Black
> Terns regularly roost near the colony along with c. 40 Common Terns and c. 30
> non-breeding Little Terns, the number of non-breeders is much less than the
> two previous years cf 150 non-breeders in 2001/2. Red-necked Stints, Ruddy
> Turnstones, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers have been seen feeding along the tide line
> near to the colony. Galahs often land in the colony to feed on the Spinifex
> Grass seed heads and this causes much consternation to the Little Terns.
>
>
> Volunteers and Assistance
>
> 14 members of the Central Coast Group of Birding NSW continue to monitor the
> colony and we would all welcome the assistance of any new volunteers. Wyong
> Council staff did a great job in re-erecting and maintaining the fence.
>
>
> Other Colonies in NSW
>
> It is estimated that there are at 20 prs Station Creek, 20+ prs Bongil Beach,
> Sawtell, 3+prs Nambucca Heads, 120 prs Manning Point/Farquhar Inlet, 55+ prs
> Towra Point in Botany Bay, 35 prs Lake Wollumboola, 12 prs Lake Conjola, 60+
> prs Tuross Heads, 20 prs Wallaga Lake, and 60 prs Wallagoot Lake. 430 prs all
> together, the most number of pairs breeding in NSW for many years. At the
> Bongil colony, a Lace Monitor took 7 clutches of eggs, at Towa Point and Bega
> River mouth Australian Ravens took many eggs and while at Lake Woolumboola &
> Lake Conjola, Foxes are known to have got away with 40+ clutches of eggs!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message
"unsubscribe birding-aus" (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
