Hi Steve,
Here's a summary of birds etc at Michaelmas Cay - see below (and
http://tim-dolby.blogspot.com/2007/09/michaelmas-cay-queensland.html#com
ments).
Cheers,
Tim
_______________________
Michaelmas Cay, Great Barrier Reef (Queensland)
Tim Dolby
This report provides some general information about Michaelmas Cay on
the Great Barrier Reef. It also provides a summary of the birds seen on
a recent trip to the Cay.
Michaelmas Cay is a small vegetated coral cay which is a protected
seabird sanctuary. Michaelmas Cay is a major seabird nesting island in
the northern Great Barrier Reef. An amazing 30,000 seabirds have been
recorded on the cay at one time. 1.5 ha in area and 3.5 m high, it lies
43 km north-east of Cairns (16 36S 145 58E). The cay sits on the western
tip of Michaelmas Reef; a mid-shelf reef formed by living coral animals,
polyps which secret a limestone skeleton.
On a recent trip I recorded the following species at Michaelmas Cay:
* Brown Booby: several birds seen at sea.
* Great Frigatebird: four birds seen, high in the sky.
* Lesser Frigatebird: two birds seen, high in the sky.
* Silver Gull: three birds seen.
* Common Noddy: literally thousands seen.
* Gull-billed Tern: several on the way out to the Cay.
* Lesser Crested Tern: only a few birds seen.
* Crested Tern: common.
* Sooty Tern: thousands.
* Caspian Tern: several birds seen.
* Black-naped Tern: a dozens seen near highest point of Cay.
* Ruddy Turnstone: three birds seen.
* Little Tern: several birds seen fishing at sea.
Overall 38 species of birds have been recorded on Michaelmas Cay (3
woodland species and 35 seabirds). The main breeding species are Sooty
Tern, Crested Tern, Common Noddy and Lesser Crested Tern. Occasional
breeders include Silver Gull, Black-naped Tern, Bridled Terns, Black
Noddy, Roseate Tern and Ruddy Turnstone. Other birds recorded include
Southern Giant-Petrel, White-tailed Tropicbird, Masked Booby, Curlew
Sandpiper, Pomarine Jaeger, Long-tailed Jaeger and there have been a
number of recent sightings of Red-footed Booby. In 2005 a group of Fairy
Tern were also recorded, possibly a new race for Australia.
Common plant species on Michaelmas Cay include Hairy Spinifex (Spinifex
hirsutus), Stalky Grass (Lepturus repens), Sea Purslane (Sesuvium
portulacastrum).
Also don't forget that Michaelmas Cay is surrounded by some magnificent
coral reefs! I can highly recommend that when you travel at the Cay to
do some birding that you also take time to go snorkeling. Nearly two
million years old and World Heritage listed in 1981, the Great Barrier
Reef has has an amazing 1,500 species of fish. On a diving trip to the
nearby Hastings Reef I saw four different species of Nemo (Clown
Anemonefish) in a couple of minutes.
When I've travelled to the Michaelmas Cay I went on the Sea Star 2, a
great service because it was cheap. As far as I know the Sea Star 2 was
put out of service in 2007, with the cheapest option now being the
Passions of Paradise (run by the same people). Last I looked this costs
about AUS$130pp. Contact Seastar Cruises,
http://www.seastarcruises.com.au/. Alternatively you can catch the Ocean
Spirit for AUS$189pp, kids $94pp, see http://www.oceanspirit.com.au/
Tim Dolby
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Steve Potter
Sent: Thursday, 30 April 2009 9:11 AM
To:
Subject: RFI: Michaelmas Cay from Pt Douglas
Hi All,
Planning a week in the Daintree in Oct and wishing to do a trip out to
Michaelmas Cay and the Reef to snorkel and bird.
Any local Knowledge on good tours from Pt. Douglas? I don't wish to
drive
all the way back to Cairns.
What should we expect on the Cay in Oct??
Replies off line if there is a commercial conflict??
Cheers
Steve Potter
Blackwood, South Australia
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