Christmas Island Part 2 The birds and where we saw them best.
Some of the place references are on the Christmas Island Tourist
Map, available from CI Visitor Information Centre, CI., Indian Ocean, 6798.
Murray Rd is the road running west from the top of the hill through Poon San
and Drumsite.
The CI endemic species,(*) and subspecies(**) excepting the CI
HAWK-OWL**, were easy to see, the Owl easy to hear and to conduct a limited
conversation with in the evenings when not raining, in the forest behind
Settlement and the golf course, but not forthcoming into visual range. Seen
by others at the Golf Course and sometimes hawking beneath streetlights at
Settlement.
The GOLDEN BOSUNBIRD variants of White-tailed Tropicbird were
always flying over Flyingfish Cove and Gaze Rd , their depth of colour
varying from deep 24carat apricot gold to off-.white, looking most
spectacular in the sun and against the deep green of the rainforested cliff
behind, and especially around midday looking down on them from "The Lookout"
above the Cove. Otherwise flys all over the Island.
CHRISTMAS ISLAND FRIGATEBIRDS* and GREAT FRIGATEBIRDS also seen up
close from the Lookout as they rode the updrafts. The female CI Frigates,
intensly black and white with long dark pink/red bills and forked tails, and
male CI's and Greats flying with huge inflated red gular pouches and
iridescent black backs to their nests below the lookout, were particularly
impressive. The Bosunbirds were smaller, finer and almost effeminately
beautiful alongside.
An occasional LESSER FRIGATEBIRD was soaring with others over the
western end of the island.
We found five ABBOTTS BOOBY* nests within a hundred metres of the
corner of Murray Rd. and Research Rd, high in emergent rainforest trees
about four km. west of the Plantation, and another two further west near
the Hugh's Dale turnoff, all at about after 3.00pm. The large fledged young
were sitting on or next to their nests, waiting for their parents to return
from feeding at sea many hundreds of km. away, where they may spend several
days depending on the season. They come in late afternoon to dusk, looking a
bit like cormorants with very long necks. The fledglings are fluffy, very
cute and toy-like in the scope, start begging continuously when parents
approach.
RED-FOOTED BOOBIES were frequent fliers along the waterfront in
front of the Sunset, the red feet not apparent in flight except from below,
just all white with black wing tips and trailing edges, but they were
roosting and nesting in rainforest on the cliff behind the road south of
North-East Point and close-up at Ethel Beach.
BROWN BOOBY nests on waterfront coral, where easily approachable,
they fly along the waterfront, tending to be close to the water.
The magnificent RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD (SILVER BOSUNBIRD) seen
flying with the other seabirds over the coastal strip, our best views were
looking down on one flying to and from a presumed nest on the waterfront
cliff on the west side of the Cove.
COMMON NODDIES also fly along the waterfront off Settlement, roost
on Buoys off the Phosphate loader.
CI. IMPERIAL PIGEONS* in forest and around town, over fifty
roosting in dead trees at the Murray/Research Station Rd.junction. EMERALD
DOVE common on shady roads and tracks.CI THRUSH** common in gardens,
closeups of several on the hospital lawns early morning.CI. WHITE-EYE*
almost everywhere, ditto CI. GLOSSY SWIFTLET**.
The CI GOSHAWK** was seen twice, one on Murray road flew over to
inspect us when we stopped for a better look, stayed on a branch just above
our heads when we approached.
EASTERN REEF EGRET scattered along waterfront, mainly white
morphs but a grey one was feeding on the road in front of Sunset.WHITE-FACED
HERONS at golf course, garbage dump, airport. AUSTRALIAN KESTRELS widespread
around town
Of the introductions, TREE SPARROWS were common around settlement,
and six JAVA SPARROWS early one morning near the school at Settlement, two
larger flocks on a steep 4wd track downhill from opposite the detention
centre near the sports oval. WHITE-FRONTED WATERHENS popped up at several
places along the road to the resort, particuarly on the green over the road
from the golf course proper and on the left just before the Resort entry
gates. These look very Indonesian, appeared about the same time as the
Indonesian backed Resort was built about ten years ago; were they
deliberately introduced? RED JUNGLEFOWL/FERAL CHICKENS along the same road.
Five BARN SWALLOWS flying over the Barracks area and roosting on
ariels there, and one at the dump, were the only summer migrants we saw,
despite a daily trip to the dump at dawn and dusk, the Grey Wagtail site at
Drumsite, the Plantation and some beaches.
Rain on a couple of days, and nights in particular, limited our
chances of seeing the Hawk-Owl, but it was easy to hear and they responded
to our simulated calls.
Hugh's Dale,with a small permanent waterfall and stream, is,
apart from being a very beautiful spot, the site of many vagrant sightings,
but we saw none. Hosnies Spring on the other (eastern) side of the island
had a difficult track in but qualified for us as the Island's most
spectaclar spot. The twenty minute walkway into Dolly's beach went through
amazing concentrations of large Red, Blue and the gigantic Robber Crabs.The
brightly coloured Red Crabs were all over the Island in large numbers, we
had to slalom the car around them early mornings and after rain, the are
largely inedible, their claws can puncture tyres. The delectable Blues and
the Robbers are protected. The only birds that might be interested don't
exist on CI because of no surface water There are infestations of Crazy
Ants which destroy crabs but being controlled by baiting programs.
The flight home via Cocos Island gave us time for a brisk walk
north alongside the airstrip to an overgrown patch of coconut palms, where
we saw a magnificent GREEN JUNGLEFOWL cock.
Cheers
Michael
.
Michael Hunter
Mulgoa Valley
50km west of Sydney Harbour Bridge
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