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Dear banding and wader study birders,
During my visit to Lord Howe island 5-12 April, saw
a Ruddy Turnstone on the grass beside the Airport runway on the island
with an orange flag on its right tarsus, Thursday 8th April at about 11
am.
At high tide quite a few Turnstones, Double-banded
and Golden Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits, and Whimbrels fed on any largish patch
of mown grass. There were also some Wandering and Grey-tailed Tattlers, usually
on the rocks around the coast.
Super place for a restful holiday and wonderful to
see thousands, if not millions, of Providence Petrels wheeling and squealing
around Mounts Gower and Lidgbird. And the Kermadecs and White-bellied
Storm-petrels out near Ball's Pyramid - what a rock! And the White Terns
and Grey Ternlets in their hundreds, Red-tailed Tropicbirds and Masked Boobies,
Black and Common Boobies you could almost walk up to and trip over, and of
course the legendary Lord Howe Woodhen. Buff-banded Rails were everywhere, much
more common than the woodhen, and one had to adjust to the strange noises in the
woods - from the Lord Howe Currawong which would sometimes follow one through
the dark green shade of the palm and banyan fig woods.
Unusual visitors were a lone sub-adult Silver Gull
and a Swamp Harrier which was harassing the nesting Masked Boobies on Roach
Island.
Ian Hutton showed us Little Shearwater burrows one
evening, and pulled out both adults and a chick for inspection - a ball of
thick grey fluff with a bright black eye and very sharp black bill at one end.
He said breeding pairs are increasing in number.
Warm thanks to Phil Hansbro for getting a small
party motivated so that we could get out on strictly birding pelagic trips
instead of having to share a boat with fisherfolk. The captain did put out lines
and caught King Fish, 2 of which were given to Phil for BBQ and did some of us
for two evenings.
Finally the snorkling at Ned's Beach was
super.
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