MIPartners

COG at Green Cape in 2011

2011-09-24T00:00:00.407+10:00

Canberra Ornithologists Group

Visit to Green Cape NSW, 19-24 September 2011

Green Cape juts out into the Tasman Sea at the extreme SE corner of mainland Australia. It is just N of the border between the states of NSW and Victoria. The narrow tip of Green Cape points almost SE. To the W and SW is Disaster Bay and the coastline northwards from the cape runs roughly NNW. To seawards our observations include the area to the limits of visibility, which from the tip of Green Cape (the Point) involves about 320˚ of arc.

Figure 1: Google map of Green Cape

The Google image of Green Cape (see Figure 1) shows various tracks and the main dirt road to the lightstation together with the forest edge to the N of the heathlands, which are all clearly visible.

This was the fourth field trip to Green Cape organized by the Canberra Ornithologists Group.

Previous visits were in June 2004, October 2005 and October 2007 – see reports at: http://mipartners.blogspot.com/2004/06/green-cape-june-2004.html http://mipartners.blogspot.com/2008/07/green-cape-2005-cog-visit-to-green-cape.html http://mipartners.blogspot.com/2008/06/blog-post.html

Both cottages were occupied from Monday afternoon to Saturday morning. The party consisted of Lia Battisson, David and Kathy Cook, Peter Fullagar, Barry Gorman, Roy Harvey, Sandra Henderson, Muriel Story and Helen Topor.

Figure 2: Sea surface temperatures (°C) at Green Cape, 23 September 2011

Figure 3: Sea surface temperatures (°C) in isotherms, 23 September 2011

Sea surface temperatures off E and SE Australia at the time we were at Green Cape are shown in Figures 2 and 3, (two map versions from the National Meteorological & Oceanographic Centre website for 23 September 2011).

View to the Point from the balcony of the old lighthouse tower

View through the door of the old lighthouse lamp room

Modern lighthouse tower art Green Cape

Old lighthouse tower at Green Cape

Chimney pots

Weather conditions for the week were mostly very good. On Monday it was overcast and dull when we arrived, with a strong NNE wind; but overnight this changed to strong southerly. At dawn it was still dull and heavily overcast with a noticeable swell lingering from the NE. However, during Tuesday morning it brightened a little although a few scattered showers, accompanied by dark clouds and distant thunder, occurred by the early afternoon and strong winds continued till dusk when viewing conditions out to sea improved. At dawn on Wednesday it was calm and warm with a flat sea and cloudless sky. The day continued to be warm and sunny (21°C) with only light breezes from the W or NW. The sea was calm and visibility remained crisp and clear to the horizon all day. Overnight the wind veered to the N and steadily increased to a strong breeze by midday on Thursday, although the sky remained clear all day. It was also cooler (19°C). On Friday the sky was clear at dawn but a strong southerly started from soon after dawn and continued all day. It remained clear most of the day with a gradual build-up in cloud. It was cool (15°C). On Saturday morning it was overcast and cold. At sea the swell was minimal with a moderate wind blowing offshore from the W. Rain was forecast. Overnight temperatures remained at about 10–11°C throughout the week.

Heathlands

Some of the spectacular heathland flora this September at Green Cape

Heath vegetation was notable for the spectacular displays of colourful flowering species. vivid yellow climbing guinea flower Hibbertia scandens; masses of gorgeous purple Pattersonia sp.; flowering coastal rosemary Westringia fruticosa along with unidentified species of Epacrids, Correa, Crowia, Hakea, Caladenia orchids, yellow Dillwynia parrot-peas and Leptospermum, all in flower.

The survey area

Green Cape and the adjoining heathlands constitute the main observation area. This area extends to as far north as the forest edge beyond the Pulpit Rock trail. We include the tracks down to City Rock and Pulpit Rock as well as the forest walk along the trail from Bittangabee.

Generally we watched from the cottage verandas and the lighthouse area, including occasionally from the Point itself. We looked for activity at sea from the Point at dawn each day, starting at 6:00AM and continuing for about an hour.

We use the term ‘Cape’ to mean the general area surrounding the lighthouse buildings and ‘Point’ to mean the specific area at the tip of the Cape.

Birding on the heaths. Barry, Roy and David (Lia, Muriel and Sandra obscured)

Sawn sea watching at the Point

Roy, Kathy, David, Sandra and Lia at the Point

Figure 4. Track of walk to Pulpit Rock from the lighthouse buildings, Green Cape

On 20 September we all took a morning walk to the Pulpit Rock and back (see Figure 4). This walk took 4 hours and covered 8 km, there and back. The highest point on this walk is at 65 m above sea level (asl). The cottages are at 30m (asl). At other times groups from the party explored various tracks on the nearby heaths but mostly returned to the Pulpit Rock track which is accessible by vehicle down to the cliff edge.

September 21 was spent at the Cape with a listening session beside the road at dusk for Ground Parrots on the heath (6:00-7:30PM). This was at a location 66 m asl at 37.15.02S: 150.01.50E.

Rock face at Pulpit Rock

Figure 5. Track of walk from Bittangabee to lighthouse buildings at Green Cape

We walked the 8 km trail from Bittangabee to the lighthouse on 22 September (8:50AM -12:30PM). Our route is shown in Figure 5. The walk returns along the same trail used in part to reach Pulpit Rock from the Cape. On the walk in the forest area N of the track to Pulpit Rock the terrain again reaches a high point on the path at about 65 m (asl).

Highlights

Spectacular concentrations of Shy Albatross; huge Short-tailed shearwater rafts; large numbers of feeding Australian Gannets; Killer Whales and six species added to our Green Cape bird list (Brown Falcon, Barn Owl, Yellow Thornbill, Scarlet Honeyeater, Flame Robin and Tree Martin). Also the heathland flowering plants.

Hand painted

Sturdy windows

Cottage veranda detail

View through the front door of cottage one

Dawn from the Cottage veranda

Head Keeper's Cottage

Another view of the Head Keeper's Cottage from Cottage one

The large Banksia clump that always attracts Little Wattlebirds

Birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies recorded this visit

The names used here follow those recommended in Gill, F. and Donsker, D. (Eds). 2011. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.9) available for download from a website at:
http://www.worldbirdnames.org/

Note: A bold font is used for the common names of species seen this trip. The list of birds includes all species known to have occurred at Green Cape or from the nearby sea area.

BLACK SWAN Cygnus atrata

A herd of 10 flew S past the Point early morning on 20 September.

LITTLE PENGUIN Eudyptula minor

WANDERING ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans

[NB Four species are now sometimes recognized within this taxon. At least two of these would occur off Green Cape. WANDERING (SNOWY) ALBATROSS Diomedea exulans and ANTIPODEAN ALBATROSS Diomedea antipodensis.]

NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS Diomedea epomophora sandfordi

[NB Two subspecies are identifiable in the field and recently they have been treated by some authorities as species - NORTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS Diomedea sandfordi and SOUTHERN ROYAL ALBATROSS Diomedea epomophora]

SOOTY ALBATROSS Phoebetria fusca

BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS Thalassarche malanophrys

A few individuals seen most days but never more than 5 on any day.

CAMPBELL [ISLAND] ALBATROSS Thalassarche melanophrys impavida

[NB Sometimes treated as a separate species Thalassarche impavida]
SHY ALBATROSS Thalassarche cauta subsp.

[NB Shy Albatrosses have recently been treated by some authorities as four species. Two of these are very similar: the TASMANIAN SHY ALBATROSS Thalassarche cauta and the AUCKLAND [ISLAND] SHY ALBATROSS Thalassarche steadi. They are not reliably separable in the field but both undoubtedly occur in the waters off Green Cape.]

On 19 September small numbers of this species were present offshore, most of them moving N. Much the same situation was evident early on 20 September, but by mid afternoon that day a spectacular concentration of what appeared to be exclusively this species was massed along the horizon. At least several thousands must have been present. However, because they were at the limits of visibility it was difficult to make a count or even estimate numbers sensibly. Only the closer examples could be positively identified, but similar albatross with the same strikingly white underwings were obviously this same species to the limits of our vision. We concluded that at least 8000, maybe more, were strung out along an arc of 90º extending from N to E. Very few were seen on 21 or 22 September. On 23 September another spectacular movement S was observed in the late afternoon. Counts between 1630 and 1730 indicated a passage of more than 3700 individuals. Four sample counts of this movement gave an average of 77 passing per minute in the period up to 17:00PM. Four more counts in the next half hour gave an average of 48 passing per minute. Passage then diminished rapidly. No albatross were seen at dawn on 24 September.

SALVIN'S ALBATROSS Thalassarche salvini

[NB Identifiable in the field from all other Shy Albatrosses and now usually treated, as here, as a full species. Another, but very distinctive Shy Albatross, the CHATHAM [ISLAND]ALBATROSS Thalassarche eremita is also now regarded by most authorities as a full species. This Shy Albatross has not so far been reported from the waters off Green Cape.]

GREY-HEADED ALBATROSS Thalassarche chrysostoma

YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS Thalassarche chlororhynchos

[NB Two subspecies (sometimes treated as two species) occur which are identifiable in the field: ATLANTIC (WESTERN) YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS Thalassarche c. chlororhynchos and INDIAN (EASTERN) YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS Thalassarche c. carteri.]

[INDIAN] EASTERN YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS Thalassarche c. carteri

One or two seen in the evening on 19 September but no more after that time.

BULLER’S ALBATROSS Thalassarche bulleri

[NB Sometimes treated as two species (Northern Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche platei and Southern Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche bulleri) but they are not separable in the field.]

GIANT PETREL Macronectes sp.

One juvenile seen off the Point most of 20 September and another seen during 23 September. Species not determined.

NORTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes halli

SOUTHERN GIANT-PETREL Macronectes giganteus

SOUTHERN FULMAR Fulmarus glacialoides

CAPE PETREL Daption capense

ANTARCTIC PRION Pachyptila desolata

SLENDER-BILLED PRION Pachyptila belcheri

FAIRY PRION Pachyptila turtur

GREAT-WINGED PETREL Pterodroma macroptera

WHITE-HEADED PETREL Pterodroma lessoni

PROVIDENCE PETREL Pterodroma solandri

GOULD’S PETREL Pterodroma leucoptera

WHITE-CHINNED PETREL Procellaria aequinoctialis

BLACK PETREL Procellaria parkinsoni

STREAKED SHEARWATER Calonectris lecomelas

WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER Ardenna pacifica

BULLER’S SHEARWATER Ardenna bulleri

SOOTY SHEARWATER Ardenna grisea

SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER Ardenna tenuirostris

A group of three or four seen moving about to the E and off the Point during most of 20 September. By late afternoon 21 September a continuous stream of some thousand shearwaters (obviously this species) was seen at the horizon going S. Late in the day a feeding frenzy of several hundred birds was seen E of the Cape much closer inshore. No passage of shearwaters was visible at dawn on 22 September but a steady passage N was observed for a time during the morning on 23 September. At dawn on 24 September large rafts of this species were drifting offshore. At least 18 rafts, amounting to about 25 000 birds, were seen at 6:00AM on a relatively calm sea with little swell. They stretched across an arc of about 90°from the NE to the SE. Presumably these were overnight roosting rafts. Counts of 2000, 500, 500, 7000, 1000, 1000, 2000, and 1000 were noted along with another 10 rafts with a total of another 10 000 birds. They began to disperse from these roosting flocks at about 06:15 but there were still some flocks at 7:00AM although many by then were on the move. All had gone by 8:00AM.

FLESH-FOOTED SHEARWATER Ardenna carneipes

FLUTTERING SHEARWATER Puffinus gavia

HUTTON’S SHEARWATER Puffinus huttoni

WILSON’S STORM-PETREL Oceanites oceanicus

GREY-BACKED STORM-PETREL Garrodia nereis

WHITE-FACED STORM-PETREL Pelagodroma marina

COMMON DIVING-PETREL Pelecanoides urinatrix

WHITE-FACED HERON Egretta novaehollandiae

One at the Point 21 September on rock platform. Two at Bittangabee on 22 September.

PACIFIC REEF HERON Egretta sacra

AUSTRALIAN PELICAN Pelecanus conspicillatus

AUSTRALASIAN GANNET Morus serrator

Present every day with several rafts, including one of 80 or more, seen settled on the calm water to the S of the Point on 21 September. Adult birds dominated with very few juveniles to be seen – suggesting juveniles constituted less than 1% of those present. A large feeding frenzy – at least 1000 birds – gathered far out to the NE by mid afternoon on 21 September. This was at about the same distance and in part of the same area that we had seen the huge collection of Shy Albatross spread along the horizon the day before. Gannets were again seen in a couple of distant feeding frenzies at dawn on 22 September but not in great numbers. On 23 September distant feeding groups were seen occasionally but none to the extent of those seen on 21 September. Early morning on 24 September there were few to be seen.

Gannet cruising to and fro past the cottages!

LITTLE PIED CORMORANT Microcarbo melanoleucos

A flock of about 50 seen going S early morning 20 September. One at Bittangabee on 22 September.

BLACK-FACED CORMORANT Phalacrocorax fuscescens

LITTLE BLACK CORMORANT Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

AUSTRALIAN PIED CORMORANT Phalacrocorax varius

GREAT CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo

A large flock of 50 seen flying N over the sea early morning 21 September. Two at Bittangabee on 22 September.

WHISTLING KITE Haliastur sphenurus

One seen to the E of the access road, about 1 km from the Cape on 23 September.

WHITE-BELLIED SEA EAGLE Haliaeetus leucogaster

An adult seen at Pulpit Rock 20 September. Three adults circling over the campsite at Bittangabee on 22 September (12:45PM) and an adult and sub-adult seen at the Cape later in the afternoon. Two adults and a sub-adult seen again at the Cape on 23 September and an adult seen attempting predation on shearwaters off the Point that afternoon. One sub-adult at the Cape at dawn on 24 September

SWAMP HARRIER Circus approximans

One seen 21 September over heathlands and again on 22 September from the Pulpit Rock track.

GREY GOSHAWK Accipiter novaehollandiae

BROWN GOSHAWK Accipiter fasciatus

One seen 21 September at the Cape and another low over the heath to the N of the Pulpit Rock Track early morning on 23 September.

NANKEEN KESTREL Falco cenchroides

One seen at the Point on the automatic light tower 20 and 21 September.

BROWN FALCON Falco berigora

One seen (c. 9:00AM) on the track just beyond the car park as we left the Cape on 24 September. NEW RECORD.

PEREGRINE FALCON Falco peregrinus

PIED OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus longirostris
SOOTY OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus fuliginosa

Two seen at the Point most days on the rock platforms.

BAR-TAILED GODWIT Limosa lapponica

RUDDY TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres

GREY [NODDY] TERNLET Procelsterna albivitta

SILVER GULL Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Two seen on 19 September and a small group of about 10 birds S of the Point on 21 September and 5 flying N late afternoon on 23 September. Conspicuously absent for the rest of the time.

PACIFIC GULL Larus pacificus

Two adults regularly at the Cape or along the cliffs to the S of the lightstation. Not yet nesting but courtship displays seen early morning 20 September. Male flying up with slow flapping flight while circling and then descending steeply to the female with bill pointed downwards, followed by standing side by side both with lowered heads, bills almost touching the ground at their feet and giving a mutual ‘long call (?)’.

Adult Pacific Gull loafing at the Point

KELP GULL Larus dominicanus

CASPIAN TERN Hydroprogne caspia

At least two present each day near the Point and another three seen at Bittangabee on 22 September.

[GREATER] CRESTED TERN Thalassius bergii

A few seen at sea each day.

SOOTY TERN Onychoprion fuscus

WHITE-FRONTED TERN Sterna striata

One seen flying N at dusk on 19 September off the Cape.

COMMON TERN Sterna hirundo (longipennis)

ARTIC TERN Sterna paradisaea

SOUTH POLAR SKUA Stercorarius mccormicki

BROWN SKUA Stercorarius antarcticus (lonnbergi)

One seen flying N early afternoon on 20 September.

POMARINE SKUA Stercorarius pomarinus

PARASITIC JAEGER Stercorarius parasiticus

LONG-TAILED JAEGER Stercorarius longicaudus

BRUSH BRONZEWING Phaps elegans

Seen at Bittangabee on 22 September and occasionally elsewhere.

WONGA PIGEON Leucosarcia melanoleuca

Two seen at Bittangabee on 22 September and heard on several occasions each day.

GLOSSY BLACK-COCKATOO Calyptorhynchus lathami

Evidence in the form of ‘chewings’ found below Alocasuarina trees along the trail from Bittangabee on 22 September. No birds heard or seen.

YELLOW-TAILED BLACK-COCKATOO Calyptorhnchus funereus

GANG-GANG COCKATOO Callocephalon fimbriatum

GALAH Eolophus roseicapilla

Two seen near cottages early morning 21 September.

RAINBOW LORIKEET Trichoglossus moluccanus

CRIMSON ROSELLA Platycercus elegans

A few noted on the walk from Bittangabee on 22 September in the forested areas but not conspicuous.

[EASTERN] GROUND PARROT Pezoporus wallicus

Heard at dusk on 21 September.

AUSTRALIAN KING PARROT Alisterus scapularis

HORSFIELD’S BRONZE CUCKOO Chrysococcyx basalis

One on 20 September at the Cape and again heard in same area on 22 September.

SHINING BRONZE CUCKOO Chrysococcyx lucidus

One heard and seen near the cottages and to the W of them in the Westringia/Melaleuca thickets 20–24 September.

FAN-TAILED CUCKOO Cacomantis flabelliformis

One calling constantly from an area W of the cottages early morning 21 September. Also seen the day before. A few calling along the trail from Bittangabee on 22 September, including a pair with the female giving the chireee call. A bird still calling from the same clump of Banksia W of the cottages as on 21 September and two males present near the cottages on 24September.

Find the singing Fan-tailed Cuckoo!

[EASTERN] BARN OWL Tyto delicatula [alba]

One seen on 22 September. Flushed from bushes at the start of the public track from the car park to the Cape and seen again later as it flew N out of this same area of tall brush to the west of the cottages. NEW RECORD

LAUGHING KOOKABURRA Dacelo novaeguineae

One heard from Pulpit Rock track on 21 September.

SUPERB LYREBIRD Menura novaehollandiae

More than one male heard in the forest areas during the Bittangabee walk on 22 September. Song desultory but including typical regional coastal type territorial calls, ‘twanging’ calls and ‘pilik’ calls along with soft mimicry.

SATIN BOWERBIRD Ptilonorhynchus violaceus

A few heard and seen in the forested areas on the Bittangabee trail on 22 September.

WHITE-THROATED TREE-CREEPER Cormobates leucophaeus

A few heard and seen in forest areas on the Bittangabee walk 22 September.

SUPERB FAIRY-WREN Malurus cyaneus

Several parties seen. Males in full colour and singing.

SOUTHERN EMU-WREN Stipiturus malachurus

Seen on 21 September along Pulpit Rock track. A few found again along the Pulpit Rock track early morning on 23 September. Not at all conspicuous this trip.

YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER Lichenostomus chrysops

Up to 15 seen at the Point early morning on 21 September and similar numbers seen again at the Point on 22 September. Also heard and seen in small numbers in the forest areas along the Bittangabee walk on 22 September.

LEWIN'S HONEYEATER Meliphaga lewinii

One seen 20 September at the Cape and again on 22 September on Pulpit Rock trail.

BROWN-HEADED HONEYEATER Melithreptus brevirostris

Heard from Pulpit Rock trail on 21 September and seen at Bittangabee on 22 September.

WHITE-NAPED HONEYEATER Melithreptus lunatus

A party of 10–15 seen at the Cape near the car park on 19 September and 25–30 seen at the Point early morning 20 September. Occasionally seen again elsewhere over the next few days.

NOISY FRIARBIRD Philemon corniculatus

A few seen on Bittangabee walk 22 September in forest areas.

LITTLE WATTLEBIRD Anthochaera chrysoptera

Noisy and conspicuous. The most widespread and abundant honeyeater this trip but no large numbers involved.

RED WATTLEBIRD Anthochaera carunculata

Several noted in the forest areas at the start of Bittangabee walk on 22 September.

CRESCENT HONEYEATER Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera

NEW HOLLAND HONEYEATER Phylidonyris novaehollandiae

Not abundant but a few found on the heaths and at the Cape.

TAWNY-CROWNED HONEYEATER Gliciphila melanops

A few seen every day. A pair was feeding young at a nest in heathland near the end of the Pulpit Rock trail on 20 September and seen here again on 21 September. A few present at the Cape.

EASTERN SPINEBILL Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris

One seen early morning at the Point on 21 September. A few seen in forest areas along the Bittangabee trail on 22 September.

SCARLET [MYZOMELA] HONEYEATER Myzomela sanguinolenta

Two males calling and seen flying overhead at the Cape early morning on 21 September. NEW RECORD.

SPOTTED PARDELOTE Pardalotus punctatus

Heard from track to Pulpit Rock on 21 September and during the walk from Bittangabee on 22 September in forested areas.

STRIATED PARDALOTE Pardalotus striatus

One seen well at the Point early morning 21 September.

STRIATED FIELDWREN Calamanthus fuliginosus

Heard at dusk on 21 September and several seen 22 September on heaths and again at dawn on 23 September.

WHITE-BROWED SCRUBWREN Sericornis frontalis

A few seen on most days.

BROWN GERYGONE Gerygone mouki

Pair at nest seen on Bittangabee walk in forest area on 22 September.

BROWN THORNBILL Acanthiza pusilla

A few seen every day.

YELLOW THORNBILL Acanthiza nana

One seen well at the Point in the early morning on 21 September. Again seen at the point on 22 September and photographed by David Cook. NEW RECORD.

STRIATED THORNBILL Acanthiza striatus

EASTERN WHIPBIRD Psephodes olivaceus

Found several birds calling well at the Cape and along the trail to Pulpit Rock, especially in the thicker Melaleuca scrub. Also heard and seen often along the Bittangabee trail on 22 September.

PIED CURRAWONG Strepera graculina

One seen on Pulpit Rock track 21 September. Three seen at the Cape 22 September.

DUSKY WOODSWALLOW Artamus cyanopterus

BLACK-FACED CUCKOOSHRIKE Coracina novaehollandiae

WHITE-BELLIED CUCKOOSHRIKE Coracina papuensis

VARIED SITTELLA Daphoenositta chrysoptera

CRESTED SHRIKETIT Falcunculus frontatus

[AUSTRALIAN] GOLDEN WHISTLER Pachycephala pectoralis

Several seen along the forested areas of the Bittangabee trail with several males in good song on 22 September.

RUFOUS WHISTLER Pachycephala rufiventris

GREY SHRIKETHRUSH Colluricincla harmonica

Heard every day. Several heard calling along the trail to the Pulpit Rock on 20 September and the Bittangabee trail on 22 September. Always in timber or taller patches of vegetation.

OLIVE-BACKED ORIOLE Oriolus sagittatus

GREY FANTAIL Rhipidura albiscapa

Two seen at the Cape 20–21 September. A few seen on the Bittangabee walk on 22 September.

BLACK-FACED MONARCH Monarcha melanopsis

AUSTRALIAN RAVEN Corvus coronoides

Two seen at the Point 20 September and another over the Pulpit Rock trail on 23 September. A few seen and heard at the Bittangabee campsite on 22 September.

EASTERN YELLOW ROBIN Eopsaltria australis

One heard calling from a wooded gully on the return walk from the Pulpit Rock 20 September. Several seen and heard calling in the forested areas along the Bittangabee trail on 22 September and one on nest at Bittangabee camp ground 22 September.

ROSE ROBIN Petroica rosea

FLAME ROBIN Petroica phoenicea

A female seen E of the cottages late afternoon 22 September. NEW RECORD.

WELCOME SWALLOW Hirundo neoxena

At least three pairs at the Cape with one pair nest building on 20 September at a site beside the back door of cottage 2; another pair apparently building a nest under the veranda roof of the ranger’s house (Head Keeper’s Cottage).

TREE MARTIN Petrochelidon nigricans

One seen at the Cape on 21 and again on 23 September. NEW RECORD

Silvereye

SILVEREYE Zosterops lateralis

Small parties feeding in the Westringia/Melaleuca thickets W of the cottages most days. Not conspicuous elsewhere.

BASSIAN THRUSH Zoothera lunulata

MISTLETOEBIRD Dicaeum hirundinaceum

BEAUTIFUL FIRETAIL Stagonopleura bella

One seen W of the cottages in the thickets early morning 20 September and heard in same area on 22 September. Again, one seen near cottages early morning on 24 September.

RED-BROWED FINCH Neochmia temporalis

Australian Pipit

AUSTRALIAN PIPIT Anthus australis

At least three pairs between the cottages and the Point. Some song flights in high wind from a bird at the Point at dusk on 19 September and occasional song flights seen at other times both here and from a bird that was often seen close to the cottages. A third pair was seen regularly to the W of the lightstation, in the hollow to the S and below the solar panel array.

EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis

Mammals recorded

Names for mammals follow those used by Menkhorst, P. and Knight, F. (2001) A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia (Oxford : Melbourne, Australia).

SHORT-BEAKED ECHIDNA Tachyglossus aculeatus

One seen on the access road to the Lighthouse 21 September.

DUSKY ANTECHINUS Antechinus swainsonii

BANDICOOT sp.

COMMON WOMBAT Vombatus ursinus

One seen sunning at the entrance to a large burrow W of the cottages early morning 21 September and again on 22 September. Up to four spotted by flashlight after dark 20 September near the cottages.

Wombat enjoying the early morning sun at burrow entrance

COMMON RINGTAIL POSSUM Pseudochirus peregrinus

One found dead beside the path in the forested area along the Bittangabee trail 22 September.

EASTERN GREY KANGAROO Macropus giganteus

Three seen at Bittangabee campsite on 22 September and a few heard or seen from time to time at the Cape.

RED-NECKED WALLABY Macropus rufogriseus

BLACK (SWAMP) WALLABY Wallabia bicolor

Several individuals seen at the Cape most days. One seen at the start of the Bittangabee trail on 22 September and another at City Rock on 23 September.

AUSTRALIAN FUR SEAL Arctocephalus pusillus (doriferus)

At least 20 seals at the Point. Some are using the rock platform E of the cottages. It is claimed that New Zealand Fur Seals (A. forteri) are using this area and that pups have been born here in recent years. Identity not confirmed.

Fur seals on the rock platforms near the Point

HOUSE MOUSE Mus musculus

None seen.

BUSH RAT Rattus fuscipes

EUROPEAN RABBIT Orytolagus cuniculus

None seen.

KILLER WHALE Orcina orca

One seen 19 September in the afternoon off the Point. Another two seen well on 23 September and another for a short time following a pod of Humpbacks early morning on 24 September.

HUMPBACK WHALE Megaptera novaeangliae

Seen every day with pods up to four or five individuals but mostly singles or two individuals together. Mostly going S. A fine breaching display from one individual seen heading S on 23 September. A pod of three adults and a small calf going S early in the morning of 24 September off the Point. For a while a large-finned Killer Whale followed this pod.

Humpback Whale passing close to the cottages

Reptiles and Amphibians recorded

Names for reptiles and frogs follow those used by Wilson, S. and Swan, G. (2003) A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. New Holland Publishers: Chatswood, Austrlia) and Tyler, M.J. and Knight, F. (2009) Field Guide to the Frogs of Australia (CSIRO publishing: Collingwood, Victoria).

LACE MONITOR Veranus varius

One on access road close to the lighthouse on 22 September and another at Bittangabee same day.

JACKY LIZARD Amphibolurus muricatus

A few seen each day.

Unidentified small skinks seen a few times.

RED-BELLIED BLACK SNAKE

One basking at the Point late afternoon on 21 September.

Red-bellied Black Snake at the Point

Two small dead snakes on the access road; one was an Eastern Brown Snake Pseudonaja textilis the other a Tiger Snake Notechis scutatus (seen by D. & K. Cook).

BROWN FROGLET Crinia signifera.

Heard calling from several wet areas on the heaths and also creek-side at several locations during the Bittangabee walk.

Painted Lady

Cockroach on the heath

Butterflies recorded
Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi) and a white, probably Cabbage White Pieris rapae, seen but only a few individuals in both instances.

Photo by Lia Battisson

1. Montagu Island studies

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Diagrammatic sketches to illustrate the flight characteristics of three species of large, all dark, shearwaters commonly found at sea off the east coast of Australia. These species breed on Montagu Island

[Drawn, with much appreciation, by Frank Knight in the late 1960s]

THE MONTAGU ISLAND SHEARWATER STORY

Montagu Island (82 ha; 36° 15’ S, 150° 14’ E) is situated about 10 km east of Narooma on the New South Wales South Coast. Three species of Ardenna (formerly Puffinus) Shearwater breed on the island. The Wedge-tailed Shearwater A. pacifica and the Short-tailed Shearwater A. tenuirostris breed in mixed colonies (Fullagar 1989; Fullagar et al. 1993; Fullagar & Heyligers 1998) The Sooty Shearwater P. grisea also breeds on the island amongst these other two species but only in very low numbers (Fullagar et al. 1993). About 15,000 pairs of shearwaters commence breeding on the island in November each year, with chicks fledging the following April.

Norman Robinson on Montagu Island in 1965.
Norman was responsible for setting up the annual productivity monitoring study of shearwaters on Montagu Island, beginning with work in the 1959-1960 season. He was given considerable encouragement by Dom Serventy who was by that time well into his own long-term study of the breeding biology of Short-tailed Shearwaters on Fisher Is., a small islet offshore from Flinders Is., Tasmania

Annual assessments of breeding success have been made since 1960 (Fullagar et al. 1991a). Every year in the last week of March all burrows in three permanently marked rectangular study plots are thoroughly checked to determine the number of shearwater chicks present. This is done towards the end of the breeding season in the last week of March. When a chick is detected, it is extracted, measured, banded and returned to its burrow. Data from two study areas (NISA of 293 m2 and SISA of 428 m2) have been collected since 1960 and the third study area (THISA of 293 m2) was added in 1992. As it is unlikely that a breeding attempt would fail at such a late stage of the nestling period, the chicks present are assumed to fledge successfully (Fullagar et al. 1991a).

Extent of shearwater colonies on Montagu Island with representation of proportional species composition based on eight sample segments. This figure is reproduced from MIPartners Report No. 7 (Fullagar & Heyligers 1998) with modification to outline the sub-colonies in red

The study provides evidence that the Short-tailed Shearwater is not, as at first thought, colonizing Montagu Island at the expense of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Indeed, there has been a clear trend towards increasing proportion and numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters in the colonies. It may be that warmer breeding seasons during recent years have favoured Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and put those species more dependant of foods that are found in colder waters at a disadvantage (Fullagar et al. 1991a, 1991b). Preliminary studies using satellite tracking devices have shown that Short-tailed Shearwaters perform spectacular round trips to the edge of the Antarctic pack-ice from Montagu Island. Chicks are provisioned by adults that travel these long-distance foraging trips, taking up to 21 days and covering up to 15 000 km each trip (Nicholls et al. 1998; Klomp & Schultz 2000).

Since 1994, more intensive studies have been conducted on various aspects of the breeding ecology of the shearwaters on Montagu Island (Schultz 1994; Bester 1997; Tiller 1998; Schultz & Klomp 2000; Tiller et al. in press). These continuing studies, together with the annual survey (now into its 50th year!) are providing further insight into the population dynamics of these shearwaters on Montagu Island and the processes involved in their breeding ecology.

Further details about this long-term monitoring project can be found in the following references.

Bester, A.J. 1997. A comparison of the feeding ecology of seabirds on Montague Island, NSW. Honours dissertation, Charles Sturt University.

Fullagar, P.J. 1989. Birds of Montagu Island, NSW. Nature in Eurobodalla 2: 27-35.

Fullagar, P.J. & Heyligers, P.C. 1998. Montagu Island shearwater population survey March 1997. M I Partners Report No. 7. Moruya, NSW. 10pp.

Fullagar, P.J., Davey, C.C., van Tets, G.F. & Heyligers, P.C. 1991a. Is the Short-tailed Shearwater colonizing New South Wales? Nature in Eurobodalla 5: 51–56.

Fullagar, P.J., Davey, C.C., van Tets, G.F. & Heyligers, P.C. 1991b. Is ocean warming already upon us? Poster presentation at Ecological Society of Australia Open Forum, Canberra, October 1991.

Fullagar, P.J. & Heyligers, P.C. 1998. 39th annual survey of shearwaters breeding on Montagu Island. Nature in Eurobodalla 12: 68-71.

Fullagar, P.J. & Heyligers, P.C. 1999. 40st annual survey of shearwaters breeding on Montagu Island. Nature in Eurobodalla 13: 61-63.

Fullagar, P.J. & Heyligers, P.C. 2000. 41st annual survey of shearwaters breeding on Montagu Island.
Nature in Eurobodalla 14: 64-67.

Fullagar, P.J., Heyligers, P.C., Crowley, M.A., van Tets, G.F. & Davey C.C. 1993. The Breeding Birds of Montagu Island. Nature in Eurobodalla 7: 57–64.

Fullagar, P.J., Perkins, H.D. & Tiller, C.J. 2002. 43rd annual assessment of shearwater breeding success on Montagu island. Nature in Eurobodalla 16: 60-67.

Heyligers,, P.C., Fullagar,P.J. & Perkins H.D. (in prep.) . 44th annual assessment of shearwater breeding success on Montagu island. Nature in Eurobodalla xx: xx-xx.

Heyligers P.C., Perkins, H.D. & Tiller, C.J. 2001. 42nd annual survey of shearwaters breeding on Montagu Island. Nature in Eurobodalla 15: 66-72.

Klomp, N.I. & Schultz, M.A. 2000. Short-tailed shearwaters breeding in Australia forage in Antarctic waters. Marine Ecology Progress Series 194: 307-310.

Nicholls, D.G., Stampton, P., Klomp, N.I. & Schultz, M 1998. Post-breeding flight to Antarctic waters by a Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris. Emu 98: 79-82.

Schultz, M.A. 1994. A comparison of the breeding ecology of the Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris and the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus on Montague Island, NSW, unpubl. B. Appl. Sci. (Hons.) thesis, Charles Sturt University, Albury NSW.

Schultz, M.A., & Klomp, N.I. 2000. Chick provisioning behaviour of two shearwaters breeding in south-eastern Australia. Austral Ecology 25: 319-326.

Tiller, C.J. (1998) Chick provisioning and fledging in two shearwater species breeding on Montague Island, NSW. Honours dissertation, Charles Sturt University.

Tiller, C.J. 2002. Comparative ecology of two sympatric shearwater species breeding on Montague Island, southen NSW PhD thesis Charles Sturt University.

Tiller, C.J., Klomp, N.I., Fullagar, P.J. & Heyligers, P.C. (in press). Catastrophic breeding failure in shearwaters caused by heavy rainfall. J. Marine Ornithology.

The following list of numbers (transformed from a table) is a summary of our data on annual counts of chicks found on fixed study plots. Counts from 1960-66 have been excluded because during those years the study methods were under development. Methods became strictly standandized from 1967 onwards. The figures given for each year are for density of chicks per hectare for each of the species in the order Ardenna tenuirostris, Ardenna grisea and finally Ardenna pacifica.

1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967: 1318 19 368
1968: 1609 29 300
1969: 1435 39 281
1970: 911 29 107
1971: 129 0 39
1972: 1812 29 533
1973: 1618 49 630
1974: 1657 29 504
1975: 1376 19 533
1976: 1415 19 504
1977: 1754 19 572
1978: 901 19 465
1979: 1667 19 630
1980: 1667 19 514
1981: 1705 19 669
1982: 1366 19 523
1983: 1502 0 504
1984: 814 0 329
1985: 1066 0 610
1986: 1240 0 397
1987: 1163 10 581
1988: 921 0 446
1989: 707 10 436
1990: 697 0 601
1991: 988 0 736
1992: 422 0 480
1993: 922 10 490
1994: 1090 0 518
1995: 624 10 413
1996: 720 10 432
1997: 720 0 384
1998: 1066 10 787
1999: 0 0 19
2000: 1156 10 879
2001: 840 0 1067
2002: 771 0 306
2003: 1144 0 779
2004: 1124 10 818
2005: 1016 10 769
2006: 759 19 434
2007: 1104 10 789
2008: 483 19 789
2009: 946 0 602
2010: 523 10 454

2. Montagu Island studies

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THE DIAGNOSTIC CHARACTER FOR RECOGNIZING
Short-tailed Shearwater chicks from Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks

Dark toenails of Short-tailed shearwater chicks

Pale toenails of Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks

3. Montagu Island studies

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SOME TYPICAL PLANTS FOUND ON THE STUDY AREAS

Ink weed Phytolacca octandra
A typical patch, some flowering heads
and ripe or ripening berries

Kangaroo Apple Solanum vescum often growns

to be a large woody plant often dominating areas amongst the

Spiny-headed Matt-rush Lomandra longifolia

Black-berry Nightshade Solanum nigrum

Native Bluebell Wahlenbergia gracilis

Small patch of Bracken Pteridium esculentum

Coastal Saltbush Rhagodia candolleana

Wandering Jew Commelina cyanea

A clump of seeding Rambling Dock Acetosa sagittata
in front of Spiny-headed Matt-rush Lomandra longifolia
and below a close up of the seeds

4. Montagu Island studies

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The A4 sized data sheet now use during the annual survey on Montagu Island of shearwater breeding success. All burrow positions can be recorded in addition to a broad scale mapping of the main vegetation features.

5. Montagu Island studies

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View, in March 2003, of the nouthern boundary of the study area on Montagu Island, NSW in which Kikuyu Grass Pennisetum clandestinum has encroached into a mixed colony of three species of Puffinus shearwaters. Inset: an adult Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus amongst Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia. Photographs by Petrus Heyligers and Peter Fullagar

Published in Australian Zoologist 2006 volume 33(4): 476-479.

Shearwater colonies on Montagu Island; are they being affected by encroaching Kikuyu Grass?

Abstract.
Contrary to expectations invasion of Kikuyu Grass Pennisetum clandestinum has not had an immediate effect on the breeding success of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Puffinus pacificus and Short-tailed Sheatwaters P. tenuirostris on Montagu Island, NSW. Montagu Island (59 ha) is situated about 10 km east of Narooma on the New South Wales South Coast, at 36˚15' S and 150˚14' E. Three species of Puffinus Shearwater breed on the island in mixed colonies: the Wedge-tailed Shearwater P. pacificus, the Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris and the Sooty Shearwater P. griseus (Fullagar et al. 1993). Annual assessments of breeding success have been made since 1960 (Fullagar et al. 1991; Heyligers et al. in prep.). A survey done in 1997 indicated that the breeding population consisted of about 6 300 pairs, of which 33% were Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, 66% Short-tailed Shearwaters and 1% Sooty Shearwaters (Fullagar and Heyligers 1998).

The vegetation has been extensively modified through human occupation, grazing of feral animals and intrusion of exotic plants (Heyligers and Adams, in prep.). Although Kikuyu Grass Pennisetum clandestinum has been present on the island for many decades, its rapid spread since the removal of goats Capra hircus in the late 1980s has caused some concern for the status of the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor breeding colony (Weerheim et al. 2003). Kikuyu overgrows and smothers the other vegetation on the island, which is often dominated by the Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia (Heyligers 1993).

Over the last decade we have witnessed the incursion of Kikuyu on one of the three study plots used annually to assess shearwater breeding success. Each year at the end of March the vegetation cover is mapped and the location of shearwater burrows plotted to a grid scale of c. 30 cm (12 inches). All chicks present are examined and banded (Fullagar et al. 1991). The numbers of chicks reared to fledging age varies considerably from year to year. In the particular study plot where Kikuyu has encroached we find on average 58 Short-tailed Shearwater (max. 104) and 10 Wedge-tailed Shearwater (32) chicks and occasionally one or two Sooty Shearwater chicks.

Figure 1. Diagram of the encroachment by Kikuyu into a shearwater colony on Montagu Island NSW between 1994 and 2003. This diagram represents the seaward section of the South Island Study Area (SISA) referred to by Fullagar and Heyligers 1998.

In 1993 the first runners of kikuyu had entered this plot from the sward on the adjacent steep seaward slope and in 1994 kikuyu covered a small area inside the plot (Fig. 1). Expansion was slow in the following years but in the summer of 1998-1999 accelerated after a summer with heavy rainfall (vide Tiller et al. in press). Since then it has been progressing at an average rate of about one metre per year. Initially, runners spread through and over the mat-rush tussocks. These tussocks collapse in a season or two while kikuyu develops into a dense cover. In 2003 shearwaters were still breeding in the area affected by this grass. Inspection of records from previous years showed that the small area covered by kikuyu in 1994 contained no burrows and the area covered by 1998 only one. By 2003 there were 24 burrows covered by kikuyu. It so happened that 1998 was also a successful breeding season (a total of 57 Short-tailed Shearwater and 14 Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks on this study plot), comparable with the 2003 season (60 Short-tailed Shearwater and 23 Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks). Hence we decided to use data from these two good seasons to assess the possible effect of kikuyu expansion.

Figure 2. Paired comparisons of burrow counts made in 1998 (left bar) and 2003 (right bar) on the section of the study plot used to asses the effects on shearwaters numbers following encroachment by Kikuyu.

In Fig. 2 we show the numbers of burrows present in 1998 and in 2003 in the zone between the boundary of the kikuyu plotted in 1998 and the boundary plotted in 2003, i.e. the zone that was free of kikuyu in 1998 but overrun by 2003. To put these numbers in context, we also show the number of burrows in an area adjacent to this kikuyu zone of roughly equivalent size. As this figure shows, the numbers of occupied burrows of both species have increased in the zone now covered by kikuyu. An increase in Wedge-tailed Shearwater burrows has also occurred in the adjacent area but burrows occupied by Short-tailed Shearwaters have slightly decreased in the unaffected adjacent area. Numbers of empty burrows in both seasons have shown little if any change.

At this stage kikuyu has not invaded much of the areas known to be used by breeding shearwaters on Montagu Island (see maps in Fullagar and Heyligers 1998; Weerheim et al. 2003). The fact that breeding numbers do not seem to have been affected in our study area was unexpected because the prevailing idea is that seabird colony activity is adversely affected once kikuyu takes over from more open native vegetation. After removal of goats in the in late 1980s (Pacey 2001) a rapid expansion of kikuyu occurred. Untimely removal of a browsing or grazing mammal often results in explosive and disastrous growth of exotic weeds (Crooks and Soulé 1999). On Montagu Island invasion by kikuyu has been shown to lead to a deterioration of breeding conditions for Little Penguin (Weerheim et al. 2003). Our findings may not be so surprising because shearwaters, unlike Little Penguins, are long-lived birds and they exhibit high breeding site fidelity (Wooller et al. 1990). Such traits may lead to the persistent use of a long established site even in the face of increasing depth and entanglement of vegetation at the burrow entrance. Whether new breeding pairs can establish burrows under dense and matted kikuyu is another question. At the present rate of expansion our study plot may well be engulfed by this grass within 20 years. Time may tell a different story!

Acknowledgments
We thank all the people who, over many years, have helped with the field work during the annual census of shearwaters on Montagu Island. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service have of recent years provided transport and accommodation.

References
Crooks, J.A. and M.E. Soulé (1999). Lag times in population explosions of invasive species: causes and implications. In ‘Invasive Species and Biodiversity Management’. (Eds O.T.Sandlund, P.J.Schei and Å. Viken.) pp 103-125. (Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht.)

Fullagar, P. J. and Heyligers, P. C. (1998). Montagu Island shearwater population survey, March 1997. M I Partners Report No. 7; iv + 10 pp.

Fullagar, P. J., Davey, C. C., van Tets, G. F. and Heyligers, P. C. (1991). Is the Short-tailed Shearwater colonizing NSW? Nature in Eurobodalla 5: 51-56

Fullagar, P. J., Heyligers P. C., Crowley M. A., van Tets G. F., and Davey C. C. (1993). The breeding birds of Montagu Island, NSW. Nature in Eurobodalla 7: 57-64.

Heyligers, P. C. 1993. A vegetation map of Montagu Island, (1990). Nature in Eurobodalla 7: 65-69.

Heyligers, P.C. and Adams L.G. (in prep.). Flora and vegetation of Montagu Island – past and present. Cunninghamia.

Heyligers, P.C., Fullagar, P. J. and Perkins, H. D. (in prep.). 44th Annual assessment of shearwater breeding success on Montagu Island, 24 - 28 March 2003. Nature in Eurobodalla

Pacey, L. (2001). ‘The Lure of Montague.’ (Laurelle Pacey: Narooma.)

Tiller, C. J., Klomp, N. I., Fullagar, P. J. and Heyligers, P. C. (in press). Catastrophic breeding failure in a shearwater breeding colony caused by heavy rainfall. Marine Ornithology.

Weerheim, M.S., Klomp, N.I., Brunsting, A. M. H. and Komdeur, J. (2003). Population size, breeding habitat and nest site distribution of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) on Montague Island, New South Wales; implications for conservation. Wildlife Research 30: 1-7.

Wooller, R. D., Bradley, J. S., Skira, I. J. and Serventy, D. L. (1990). Reproductive success of Short-tailed Shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris in relation to their age and breeding experience. Journal of Animal Ecology 59: 161-170.

Download Reports as PDF copies

2010-04-01T00:00:00.000+11:00

M I Partners Report Series

A few of the following can be downloaded as PDF copies. They are marked *. All the remaining reports will shortly be added.

Go to: http://mipartners.com/

*M I Partners Report No. 1
Fullagar, P. J. & Heyligers, P. C. 1992. Montagu Island penguin census November 1992. 9pp + 1p Appendix.

M I Partners Report No. 2
Fullagar, P. J., Heyligers, P. C., van Tets, G. F. & Crowley, M. A. 1994. A reconnaissance of Gabo Island to assess the feasibility of a Little Penguin breeding population survey. 3 pp.

M I Partners Report No. 3
Heyligers, P. C. & Fullagar, P. J. 1995. The second Montagu Island penguin survey November 1994. iv + 14 pp (including 2 Appendices).

M I Partners Report No. 4
Fullagar, P. J., Heyligers, P. C., Crowley, M. A. & Klomp N. I. 1995.
Gabo Island penguin survey November 1994.
iv + 18 pp (including Appendix).

M I Partners Report No. 5
Fullagar, P. J. & Heyligers, P. C. 1996.
Gabo Island shearwater surveys 1995 and 1996.
iv + 16 pp (including Appendix).

M I Partners Report No. 6 (Revised edition)
Heyligers, P. C. 1998.
Some New South Wales coastal plant distributions: a comparison of herbarium records with transect survey data.
iv +28 pp (including Appendix).

M I Partners Report No. 7
Fullagar, P. J. & Heyligers, P. C. 1998.
Montagu Island shearwater population survey March 1997.
iv + 10 pp (including Appendix).

M I Partners Report No.8
Heyligers, P. C. 1998.
Dune and vegetation formation at the Entrance Point Scientific Reference Area, Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria.
iv + 14 pp (including Appendix).

*M I Partners Report No. 9
Fullagar, P. J., Heyligers, P. C., Harvey, J. & Prizl, R. 1999.
Bowen Island penguin survey November 1998.
iv + 17 pp (including Appendix).

*M I Partners Report No. 10
Trezise, N. R., Klomp, N. I., Fullagar, P. J. and Heyligers, P. C. 2000.
The Third Montagu Island Penguin Survey November 1998.
Iv + 12 pp (including Appendix).

M I Partners Report No. 11
Fullagar, P. J., Heyligers, P.C. and Crowley, M.A. 2005.
The Birds of Gabo Island
Iv + 26 pp (including Appendix).

M I Partners Report No. 12
[In preparation]

50th annual report for NIE

2009-04-01T17:40:00.011+11:00

Published November 2009 in: Nature in Eurobodalla vol. 23: 64-69

50^th ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF SHEARWATER BREEDING SUCCESS ON MONTAGU ISLAND,

24^th – 31^st MARCH 2009

Peter J. Fullagar, Michael A. Crowley, Petrus Heyligers, Chris Davey, Vanessa Place, Paula Pollock, Mavis Russell, Phillip Kingston and Geoffrey Dabb.

The format of this report and the abbreviations used therein are consistent with those in previous annual reports (e.g. Place et al. 2008). The study area on the south-eastern side of the smaller northern part of Montagu Island is known as NISA (293 m²); the two study areas at the northern end of the southern part are known as SISA (428 m²) and THISA (293 m²). Their position is shown on the maps in the report on the size of the shearwater breeding population on Montagu Island (Fullagar and Heyligers 1998). The bird records for the island have been reviewed by Fullagar (1989). Names of birds follow Christidis and Boles (2008); all other vertebrates follow Clayton et al. (2006). Names of butterflies follow Braby (2004) and moths follow Common (1990) whilst those of vascular plants follow those used by Heyligers and Adams (1989, 2004).

Weather and Habitat Conditions

We departed Narooma at 09:30 on 24^th March crossing to the island in muggy conditions and light wind with a 2 m NE swell. Little was seen during the crossing except for a few Short-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna tenuirostris and a juvenile Australasian Gannet Morus serrator. Fine, warm to hot and humid weather prevailed until late Wednesday when a strong southerly arrived causing a marked drop in temperature and humidity. Cool and fresh southerly winds continued throughout Thursday and Friday before clear and hotter weather returned for Saturday and continued on Sunday and Monday with light NE to SW winds. Light showers occurred overnight on the 30^th with southerly winds.

Rainfall figures (mm) for the twelve months (April 2008 to end of March 2009) are as follow: 35.4; 13.2; 38.4; 15.8; 91.8; 8.2; 26.6; 80.2; 46.0; 9.0; 59.2 and 15.6. The highest daily falls during the shearwater breeding season between October and March included a fall of 18 mm in December and another of 16.8 mm in February but these would not amount to any likelihood of serious burrow flooding. However, the island appeared lush and with no evidence of serious wilting of plants and the Spiny-headed Matt-rush Lomandra longifolia was in good condition on all study plots. An intrusion of Running Postman Kennedia rubicunda has now spread into SISA along the eastern boarder and now covers 5-6%of the study area .

Coverage

We started work on THISA at 12:50 on 24^th and finished this plot by 17:05 the same day. On the 25^th we moved to NISA and started work at 09:05 completing the plot by 16:00. We began work on SISA at 08:50 on 26^th and stopped at 18:40 that day to complete the site the following day between 09:00 and 14:30. However, on 27^th we had an ABC film crew with us to report on this 50^th shearwater survey for a broadcast during the following day’s Saturday evening news.

Apart from observations made while on the study plots we explored both islands. North Island was visited on the 28^th and South Island was surveyed each day 28-31^st, mostly on the western and southern sides. The western side of the South Island between to old and the new jetty is now well vegetated in re-plantings to a height of 2-3 metres and referred to as the ‘Acacia thickets’.

Since the shearwater survey in March 2008 new plantings have occurred between the new landing site and the old kitchen gardens Due to bad weather we were unable to leave the island until 1530 on 3 April.

Survey Results

The results of this year’s survey, together with those of last year, are summarised in Table 1.

Table 1. Number of shearwater chicks and number of burrows found in the three study areas this year and last year (figures in brackets), together with the totals for both years.

	NISA	THISA	SISA	Total 2008	Total 2009
Wedge-tailed Shearwater	36 (52)	11 (9)	14 (19)	80	61
Short-tailed Shearwater	22 (10)	25 (9)	49 (30)	49	96
Sooty Shearwater	0 (0)	0 (1)	0 (1)	2	0
Number of burrows	147 (186)	68 (59)	150 (180)	425	365
Occupied burrows (%)	40 (33)	53 (32)	42 (27)	31	43

Fewer burrows and more chicks were found on the plots than in the previous year bringing the percentage of occupied burrows back to the norm of about 45% occupancy. The numbers of chicks found on the study plots were close to the long-term average for 5 years. Weights of Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica were similar but slightly lower than those measured in 2008 (445g compared with 466g). All chicks were completely down covered. The three lightest weights were 160, 200 and 240g with the heaviest being 620, 630 and 640g.

Short-tailed Shearwater chick numbers were considerably higher than in 2008 on all three plots and all three were close to the long term averages for the plots (NISA, THISA and SISA of 33.0, 17.0 and 54.2 respectively). Mean chick weight for this species was 495g, which was considerably lighter than was found in 2008 (658g). Only one chick of this species was not in full down. The lightest weights were 220, 230 and 260g with the heaviest being 790, 990 and 1070g.

General observations of birds, mammals, reptiles and Lepidoptera

Birds

Nightjar Eurostopodus sp. Observed rising from a track on the night of 31^st. Almost certainly a White-throated Nightjar Eurostopodus mystacalis.

Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta. Headless carcase found in gulch on 25^th.

Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos. One seen south of island on 28^th.

Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica, Sooty Shearwater A. grisea and Short-tailed Shearwater A. tenuirostris. See text above. Only small numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters occasionally seen at sea during the day.

Little Penguin Eudyptula minor. Little activity ashore. No counts were made of birds coming ashore in the evenings. A few were heard calling at night.

Australasian Gannet Morus serrator. Few, mostly immatures.

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo. A maximum count of 18 on 29^th along western shore of South Island. Present every day.

White Faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae. One bird at south end of South Island every day.

Eastern Reef Egret Egretta sacra. One dark morph bird seen most days.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster. Observed every day with a maximum of 4 individuals; aged as three adults and a sub-adult. The three adults were often heard calling.

Swamp Harrier Circus approximans. One bird seen occasionally on the island.

Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides. Maximum number seen was two of which one was an adult male.

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus. A pair seen most days.

Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus phillipensis. One seen in Acacia thicket on 25^th and at south end of South island on 29^th. One heard on North Island on 28^th.

Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus. Few seen during this visit and the maximum was 6 seen on 31^st.

Brown Skua Stercorarius antarcticus. One among flock of feeding gannets on trip from island on 3^rd.

Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia. Three bird quartering the east side of the gulch most days.

Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii. A few seen at sea and roosting on shore most days.

Silver Gull Chroicephalus novaehollandiae. Very few at sea and around island.

Galah Eolophus roseicapilla. Flock of 18 seen 27^th.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater Lichenostomus chrysops. A few birds present in Acacia tickets on South Island throughout the visit.

Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata. One seen on track to landing on 27^th.

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae. A bird foraging over Coast Banksia

Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis. A female seen in the Acacia thicket on 29^st.

Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa. Maximum of six seen on 28^th (three in Acacia thicket and three in gulch). None present the following day.

Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula. A female was seen near Acacia thicket on 29^th, another on path to the South Landing on 28^th. Not seen the following day.

Flame Robin Petroica phoenica. One male seen on 28^th and 29^th near lightstation.

Rose Robin Petroica rosea. One immature near gardens north-west South Island and a male on 28^th in the NE of North Island.

Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis. Not vocal and difficult to detect but a few birds seen each day.

Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus. Inconspicuous at this time of the year but some birds heard calling occasionally and a few seen most days.

Silvereye Zosterops lateralis. None seen until 26^th when large numbers arrived of the southern form following the southerly change. Noticeable decline in numbers on the 30^th.

Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena. Seen each day. Individuals seen on both islands. Numbers seen suggest that birds might have been passing through as passage migrants.

Australasian Pipit Anthus australis. One seen most days at south end of South Island..

Mammals

Seals. Approximately 250 seals estimated to be present on the island with 150 in the NW corner of the island, 50 in the water nearby and 30 scattered along the north coast of the island. Approximately 20 seals on rocks around South island in the west side. The Australian Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus and the New Zealand Fur Seal Arctocephalus forsteri was observed but no count of individual species was attempted.

Reptiles

Both species known to occur on the island, White’s Skink, Ergenia whitii and Grass Sun-skink Lampropholis guichenoti were observed regularly and throughout the island, the latter species much the more common.

Lepidoptera

Butterflies were conspicuous. The Common Brown Heteronympha merope was particularly numerous along paths, mostly on the west side of South island, throughout our visit. Females were more conspicuous than males. Yellow Admiral Vanessa itea was also seen. Also found was a large unidentified hawk moth (Sphingidae) on 30^th. A Black and White Tiger Moth Spilosoma glatignyi was observed on the path alongside the Acacia thicket on 29^th. A Granny's Cloak Moth, Speiredonia spectans was recorded at the residence on 3^rd April. Unidentified Lycaenid blues were often observed along pathways together with many individuals of an Hesperid skipper. Cabbage White Pieris rapae were numerous on 28^th suggesting an overnight arrival with none present on 30^th. At least two species of large ‘hawker’ dragonfly were seen swiftly moving up and down the pathways along the Acacia thicket on the 28^th; one a pale green thin bodied species and the other being a plump dull brown dragonfly.

Acknowledgments

This was the 50^th anniversary of this historic long-term survey of the breeding shearwaters on the island – a survey suggested by Dom Serventy and first undertaken by Norman Robinson in the season 1959-1960. Many people have volunteered their time to assist with this annual event. We particularly wish to acknowledge the support given by Preston Cope and Ross Constable in making these surveys possible in recent years. We would also like to thank Mark Westwood who prepared posters to commemorate the occasion along with fact sheets on the natural history of Montagu Island. We are indebted to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for hospitality while on the island, in particular we thank Alan Redwin for allowing us to share accommodation with him while we carried out this survey.

References

Braby, M.F. 2004. The complete field guide to butterfies of Australia. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Christidis, L and Boles, W.E. (2008) Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne

Clayton, M., Wombey, J.C., Mason, I.J., Chesser, R.T & Wells, A. (2006). CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates A Reference with Conservation Status. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Common, I.F.B. Moths of Australia. Melbourne. 1990. University Press, Carlton, Melbourne.

Fullagar, P.J. (1989). The birds of Montagu Island, NSW. Nature in Eurobodalla 2: 27-35.

Fullagar, P. J. and Heyligers, P. C. (1998). Montagu Island shearwater population survey March 1997. M I Partners Report No. 7 (iv + 10 pp).

Heyligers P.C. and Adams L.G. (1989). Vascular flora of Montagu Island, NSW. Nature in Eurobodalla 2: 36-40.

Heyligers, P.C. and Adams L.G. (2004). Flora and vegetation of Montagu Island – past and present. Cunninghamia 8(3): 285-305.

Place, V., Binder, D., Crowley, M. A., Fullagar, P.J., Jorgensen, A., Russell, M. and Takeuchi, N.

(2008). 49^thannual assessment of shearwater breeding success on Montagu Island, 25^th March – 1^st April 2008. Nature in Eurobodalla 22: 61-66.

FACT SHEET 1 - History

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THE NATURAL HISTORY OF MONTAGU ISLAND

The earliest recorded ornithological visit to Montagu Island was in September1907 by Arthur Francis Basset Hull. There are few documented observations about the Island before this date. However, its natural resources had long been recognized by the local aboriginal communities.

Cook in April 1770 took it to be a headland off the coast below Mt Dromedary. It was named Montagu Island in 1790 by Captain Anstis of the convict transport vessel ‘Surprise’. George Bass passed inshore of the island in 1797 without special comment and Mathew Finders sailed close by to seawards in February 1798. The brief observations by Flinders are the first documented descriptions about the Island. He noted that there were a few small trees and many seals in the surrounding waters. Doubtless sealers soon plundered the area but no information about that particular period in the Island’s history seems to exist.

Records start with the building of a lighthouse and the associated residences in 1878 with a formal commissioning and occupation late in 1881. Little, however, can be gleaned concerning the islands fauna and flora from the available records until that first visit by Basset Hull.

A page from Basset Hull's report on his 1911 visit to the island

Basset Hull’s main purpose for visiting the island was to further his studies of Silver Gull colonies in NSW. He tragically lost all of his collection of eggs and his photographic plates when the boat he was in capsized on returning to Narooma. Fortunately there was no loss of life and, undaunted, he went back to the Island in October 1911 to make further collections of gulls eggs, take several photographs of the Silver Gull colonies and record some details about the vegetation and wildlife he observed on the island.

Little was added to our knowledge of the natural resources of Montagu over the next fifty years. Occasional visits by staff from the Australian Museum are recorded in the Museum catalogues of acquisitions and photographs but very little was ever written about the natural history of the island.

In the 1920s F A Rodway took an interest in the vegetation of the Island and collected some of the first botanical specimens and a little later in the 1920s I A Brown made some observations on the geology of the Island.

It was not until the late 1950s that we begin to have a better record of the natural resources of the Island. This started with the banding of large numbers of Silver Gulls Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae and Crested Terns Thalasseus bergii by Robert Carrick and his team of co-workers from CSIRO. Many gulls and terns were marked as part of a wider investigation of dispersal and survival of these species in south-eastern Australia. Also at this time, Stephen Davies, while on the Island, investigated the way that adult Crested Terns could recognize their own chicks by their unique calls. These were pioneering studies employing newly available techniques of tape recording sounds in the field and the visualization and analysis of these recorded sounds using the recently developing methods of sound-spectrography (he used an instrument called a Sonagraph). Regrettably few additional observations were made during these annual gull and tern banding trips until in 1960 Norman Robinson decided to have a look at the shearwaters breeding on the island.

Norman Robinson and Short-tailed Shearwater chick 1965

Basset Hull had recorded that the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica was present, and presumably bred, but Robinson discovered that Short-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna tenuirostis and a few Sooty Shearwaters Ardenna grisea also occurred on the Island. This followed up on the discovery a year before that the Short-tailed Shearwater did in fact breed on islands in NSW waters – previously it was thought to be confined as a breeding species to islands in Bass Strait, Tasmania and Spencer Gulf. Robinson was also interested in bird vocalizations and he made sound recordings of the shearwaters. Revelation that more than one species of shearwater was present and breeding on Montagu Island initiated a long term study that has continued annually up to the present day.

Keith Hindwood prepared and published in 1969 the first inventory of all bird records from Montagu Island and M.E. Sullivan prepared a report in 1975 on the archaeology of the island. An account on the seals was published by Peter Shaughnessy and others in 2001. Reports have now been published following each shearwater survey. These appear in the pages of Nature in Eurobodalla, an annual publication of the local Eurobodalla Natural History Society. Much additional information about the natural resources of Montagu Island will be found in the pages of this journal.

Following the decommissioning of the manned light station in the late 1980s and the dedication of the Island as a nature reserve several studies on the fauna and flora have been undertaken by students from Sturt University. This work has been done under the guidance of Prof. Nick Klomp. Latterly, various additional studies by MIPartners on the status of landbirds on Montagu are been carried out with a view to tracking long term changes resulting from suppression of invasive weeds and a vigorous program aimed at revegetating the Island in a way that will restore a landscape nearer to that likely to have been present 200 years ago.

Banding and measuring a shearwater chick

Further Reading

Basset Hull, A.F. (1908). The Montague Island gullery. Emu 8: 80-85.

Basset Hull A.F. (1912). Avifauna of New South Wales Islands. Emu 11: 202-207.

Carrick, R., W.R. Wheeler & M.D. Murray (1957). Seasonal Dispersal and Mortality in the Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, and the Crested Tern Sterna bergii Lichenstein, in Australia. CSIRO Wildl. Res. 2: 116-144.

Davies, S.J.J.F. & R. Carrick (1962). On the ability of Crested Terns, Sterna bergii, to recognize their own chicks. Aust J. Zool 10: 171-177.

Fullagar, P.J. (1989). Birds of Montagu Island, N.S.W. Nature in Eurobodalla 2: 27-35.

Hindwood, K.A. (1969). The Birds of Montagu Island New South Wales. Proc. Roy. Soc. N. S. Wales 1967-68: 46-52 and 3 plates.

Murray, M.D. & R. Carrick (1964). Seasonal Movement and Habits of the Silver Gull, Larus novaehollandiae Stephens, in south-eastern Australia. CSIRO Wildl. Res. 9: 160-180.

Pacey, L. (2001). The Lure of Montague. Revised edition, 72 pp. (Narooma, published by the author).

Robinson, F.N. (1962). Shearwaters breeding on Montague Island, New South Wales. Emu61: 292-3.

Robinson, F.N. (1964). The breeding of Sooty Shearwaters on Courts Island, Tasmania, and Montagu Island, N.S.W. Emu 63: 304-6.

Rodway. F.A. (1932). The vegetation of Montague Island. The Australian Naturalist 8(7): 143.

Shaughnessy, P.D., S.V.Briggs & R. Constable (2001). Observations on seals at Montague Island, New South Wales. Aust. Mammalogy 23: 1-7.

Sullivan, M.E. (1975). An Archaeological Survey of Montagu Island, N.S.W. Aust. Archaeology 2: 37-45.

FACT SHEET 2 - Vegetation

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THE VEGETATION OF MONTAGU ISLAND

Montagu Island is situated 10 km offshore from Narooma and in glacial periods, when sea levels were considerably lower, formed part of the mainland. Consequently, the vegetation would have been similar to that now found at and near the coastal fringe of the mainland, namely a low forest of Bangalay Eucalyptus botryoides, Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia, Tree Broom-heath Monotoca elliptica and Black She-oak Allocasuarina littoralis with Coast Wattle Acacia longifolia var. sophorae and Coast Beard-heath Leucopogon parviflorus along the seaward edges.

The Island has a long history of use by indigenous people (Pacey 2001) and, over time, the effects they had on the vegetation have been profound. Matthew Flinders, on passing the island in February 1798, noted that it ‘produced small trees,’ while in the early 1880s, at the time the lighthouse was built, the vegetation consisted of ‘Shrub, Trees and rank Grass’, ‘Scrub and Trees’ and ‘Scrub and Stunted Trees’. This is borne out by photographs taken from steamers that passed up and down the coast around the turn of the century.

Two views of the east side of the island in the early 1900s compared with same view in 1988

By 1907, 25 years after residential occupation of the Island, Basset Hull (1908) noted that ‘A few very ragged and dwarfed Banksia Banksia integrifolia and Pigeon-berries Monotoca elliptica scattered at wide intervals, were the only trees on the Island, but the sandy soil between the granite boulders was thickly overgrown with masses of the red-flowering pea-creeper Kennedia rubicunda. Under these creepers, tangled up with tussock grass, rushes and stinging nettles, the penguins’ runs and burrows extended in every direction.’ Hence it is clear that since the lighthouse was built trees and shrubs had almost disappeared, and the vegetation was dominated by Spiny-headed Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia and Tussock Grass Poa poiformis. This change was brought about by the need for firewood by the light keepers, the introduction of rabbits and goats, and grass fires.

With the European inhabitants many foreign plants came to the island. Several were introduced to provide fresh produce, others were brought in with feed for the horses or arrived adhering to clothes and footwear. In 1916, when erosion of the sandy soil around the living quarters became a nuisance, Buffalo Grass Stenotaphrum secundatum, a lawn grass of coastal foreshores, was introduced to combat the problem (Higgins 1990). On April the 4th, 1932, F.A. Rodway was the first botanist to visit the Island and listed 46 species of which he made collections. Forty one years later a survey team from CSIRO investigated Montagu’s natural assets and recorded about 100 species of plants for the Island. In the late 1980s an intensive plant search yielded 140 species of which 55 were non-native. The latter included several survivors from the days that vegetables and ornamental plants were grown by the light keepers. Some of the introduced species are notorious for their capacity to overrun existing vegetation. Foremost among these is Kikuyu Grass, Pennisetum clandestinum, while Rambling Dock, Acetosa sagittata, is a close second.

Kikuyu Grass was introduced into Australia by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture as seed from the Belgian Congo (Whittet 1921). In 1919 it was propagated in the Botanic Gardens in Sydney and proved successful as cattle feed. Cuttings were sent for further testing to no less than 40 locations in New South Wales. These included Pambula on the South Coast, where the cuttings ‘made good growth.’ Some time in the 1920s cuttings were taken home from the Royal Easter Show by the Bates’ family who were farming in the Bodalla district. How it arrived on Montagu Island is unknown, but in the late 1980s it occurred over about 16% of the Island, mainly on the west side in inaccessible and wet places, on tracks and around the quarters. The vegetation of the remainder of the island was dominated by Spiny-headed Mat-rush and Bracken Pteridium esculentum, in varying densities and Tussock Grass was prominent in the northern parts of the Island. It may come as a surprise to see Common Reed Phragmites australis on higher parts of the island. The explanation is to be found in the presence of granite lying close to the surface, thus creating an elevated water table.

Map of showing the distribution of vegetation in 1990

Spread of Kikuya Grass Pennisetum clandestinum between 1990 (L)
and 2000 (R)

Montagu Island, because of the lighthouse, came under the auspices of the Commonwealth from 1901 until the light was automated with the introduction of solar power in 1987. At that time, responsibility for the island reverted to the New South Wales Government and it became a Nature Reserve. In contrast to the previous period, an active management regime was implemented by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, which started with the eradication of the goats. Once released from the goats’ grazing pressure and aided by the demise of the rabbits, Kikuyu Grass spread rapidly and by 2001 covered an area of 37%. This led to the decision to push back the Kikuyu Grass by creating a cover of Coast Wattle and other native species and thus to restore the vegetation to something probably close to what originally existed on Montagu Island.

Most of the information in this Fact Sheet is based on Heyligers and Adams (2004).

Control of Kikuyu grass invading the northern edge of one of the shearwater study areas in 2004

Further reading

Basset Hull, A.F. (1908). The Montague Island gullery. Emu 8: 80-85.

Heyligers, P.C. (1993). A vegetation map of Montagu Island, 1990. Nature in Eurobodalla 7: 65-69.

Heyligers, P.C. and Adams, L.G. (1989). Vascular flora of Montagu Island, New South Wales. Nature in Eurobodalla 2: 36-40.

Heyligers, P.C. and Adams, L.G. (2004). Flora and vegetation of Montagu Island – past and present. Cunninghamia 8(3): 285-305.

Higgins, M. (1990) Montague Island Lightstation; Stage 2 and Stage 3 Reports. Unpublished reports to the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Pacey, L. (2001). The Lure of Montague. Revised edition, 72 pp. (Narooma, published by the author).

Rodway. F.A. (1932). The vegetation of Montague Island. The Australian Naturalist 8(7): 143.

Whittet, J.N. (1921). A promising introduction. Kikuyu Grass (Pennisetum longistylum (Hochst.)). Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales 32: 313-322.

FACT SHEET 3 - Shearwater studies

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A Wedge-tailed Shearwater chick in late March

THE MONTAGU ISLAND SHEARWATER STUDY

Montagu Island (82 ha; 36° 15’ S, 150° 14’ E) is situated about 10 km east of Narooma on the New South Wales South Coast. Shearwaters belong to a distinct group of pelagic seabirds, the Procellariiformes, distinguished by their raised tubular nostrils and ranging throughout the world’s oceans with three-quarters of species occurring within the Australasian region. Three species of Ardenna (formerly Puffinus) Shearwater breed on the island. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters A. pacifica and the Short-tailed Shearwaters A. tenuirostris breed in mixed colonies by burrowing into sandy soil under vegetation such as Spiny-headed Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia. The Sooty Shearwater A. grisea also breeds on the island amongst these other two species but in very low numbers. About 15,000 pairs of shearwaters arrive to breed on the Island in October each year, with chicks fledging the following April.

An assessment of breeding success has been made annually since 1960. Each year in the last week of March all burrows in three permanently marked rectangular study plots are thoroughly checked to determine the number of shearwater chicks present. When a chick is detected, it is extracted, measured, banded and returned to its burrow. Data from two study areas (NISA of 293 m2 and SISA of 428 m2) have been collected since 1960 and a third study area (THISA of 293 m2) was added in 1992. As it is unlikely that a breeding attempt would fail at such a late stage of the nestling period, the chicks present are assumed to fledge successfully.

By late March chicks are fast loosing down from the body.
Here are three Short-tailed Shearwater chicks with progressively less down on their undersides

Over the years fewer and fewer Short-tailed Shearwaters have been found on NISA. On SISA the numbers of Short-tailed Shearwater chicks have been relatively stable in recent years, although numbers are very variable from year to year. However, the exceptionally high numbers found during the years 1973-1987 have never been repeated. Numbers of Short-tailed Shearwater chicks found on THISA since 1992 have been relatively consistent year to year.

Of all the shearwater fledglings in the long-term study plots during 1967-99, 68.8% were P. tenuirostris, and 30.3% were P. pacificus. The remaining shearwaters (0.9%) represented the few Sooty Shearwaters P. griseus that breed on Montagu Island.

An initial trend suggesting a rapid decline in the proportion of Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks up to 1965 did not continue and the long-term trend is certainly in favour of increasing proportions of this species in the population on the Island.

Catastrophic events have occurred on at least two occasions with consequent low survival of chicks. This occurred spectacularly in 1971 and again in 1999. These disasters were caused by flooding after exceptionally heavy and concentrated summer rainfall. Such events have probably occurred about once every 30 years over the past century.

The study provides evidence that the Short-tailed Shearwater is not, as at first thought, colonizing Montagu Island at the expense of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Indeed, there has been a clear trend towards increasing proportion and numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters in the colonies. It may be that warmer breeding seasons during recent years have favoured Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and put those species more dependant of foods that are found in colder waters at a disadvantage. Preliminary studies using satellite tracking devices have shown that Short-tailed Shearwaters perform spectacular round trips to the edge of the Antarctic pack-ice from Montagu Island. Chicks are provisioned by adults that travel these long-distance foraging trips, taking up to 21 days and covering up to 15 000 km each trip.

Since 1994, more intensive studies have been conducted on various aspects of the breeding ecology of the shearwaters on Montagu Island. These continuing studies, together with the annual survey (now into its 50th year!) are providing further insight into the population dynamics of these shearwaters on the Island and the processes involved in their breeding ecology.

Further reading

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol 1, part A. Eds S. Marchant and P.J. Higgins (1990). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

Fullagar, P.J. & P.C. Heyligers (1998). Montagu Island shearwater Population Survey March 1997. M I Partners Report No. 7, 10pp.

Fullagar, P.J., C.C. Davey, G.F.van Tets & P.C. Heyligers (1991). Is the Short-tailed Shearwater colonizing new South Wales? Nature in Eurobodalla 5: 51-56.

Serventy, D.L. (1963). Egg-laying Timetable of the Short-tailed shearwater, Puffinus tenuirostris. Proc XIII Internat. Ornith. Cong., pp 338-343.

FACT SHEET 4 - Wedge-tailed Shearwater

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The Wedge-tailed Shearwater Ardenna pacifica

A coastal and pelagic species found in tropical and sub-tropical waters covering the Indian and Pacific Oceans (and probably in former times the central Atlantic). Occurs from the islands to the north and east of Madagascar where many breeding colonies occur and ranging at sea to as far as the Arabian Sea, India and eastwards to Australia with further breeding colonies at the Chagos archipelago, the Cocos Keeling Group and several islands off north western and western Australia south to as far as Fremantle. Very widespread in the central Pacific with numerous breeding colonies occurring on oceanic islands from the Great Barrier Reef to as far south as Montagu Island in Eastern Australia. Also found breeding on many equatorial islands north to Japan, Hawaii and east across to central America to Revillagigedo off Baja California, Mexico. Generally populations are sedentary but at the northern and southern extremities of their distribution they are to some extent migratory.

One of the large all dark shearwaters (though some are pale bellied). Diagnostic features when on the wing are a buoyant, unhurried flight with wing ‘shoulders’ held well forward and a slow flap-flap glide flight. Slim and long in the body with the large tail usually held closed except when banking sharply. Diagnostic features of chicks from other likely similar species when in the hand are white toe nails. The call is diagnostic and best described as a ‘slow, mournful wail’ – rising and falling in pitch which can be heard at night coming from burrows on the breeding colonies.

Diagnostic white toenails of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters

The breeding routine is much as that for other similar large shearwaters such as the Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris. On Montagu Island birds return in mid-August to early September when they establish pair bonds, dig out, prepare and defend potential nesting burrows. Breeding birds then depart on a pre-laying exodus as do most shearwaters. Birds return to the Island after an absence of approximately 3 weeks. On Montagu Island laying dates seem not to be quite as tight as those observed for Short-tailed Shearwater being spread over a couple of weeks but still with a concentration late in November. The incubation routine is similar to that found in Short-tailed Shearwaters but provisioning of chick occurs at relatively short intervals of between 2 and 5 days and without long foraging trips by adults. Adults visit the island less frequently from early April onwards and the chicks usually depart by May.

Two Wedge-tailed Shearwater chicks

To date there have been few studies on the birds local movements at Montagu Island so it is not clear where they feed. However, provisioning trips are rarely very long and most food must therefore be collected from relatively short distances from the island. Their diet is mainly small fish and cephalopods (squid) that live in warmer waters, unlike the Short-tailed Shearwater which prefers prey from cooler waters. Most items are taken from on or near the surface and diving deeply below the surface is unusual. Any increase in the frequency of warm currents around the Island may well have a significant effect on the local demography of this species.

Ditribution of the main colonies of Shearwaters on Montagu Island.
Details of relative proportions of the three species in different areas are shown

The monogamous pair bond is long term and possibly life-long with birds living for up to 30 years. Breeding can first occur at age four. The annual breeding success of this species has been followed on Montagu Island for the past 49 years with an estimation of occupancy rates within specific survey plots on both North and South Island.

Numbers of chicks/ha produced from three study areas on Montagu Island 1967-2008. Counts from 1960-66 have been excluded because during those years the study methods were under development. Methods became strictly standardized from 1967 onwards.

Wedge-tailed Shearwaters squabbling over a large moribund squid

Further reading

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol 1, part A. Eds S. Marchant and P.J. Higgins (1990). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Albatrosses and Petrels across the World. Michael Brooke (2004). Oxford University Press, Oxford.

The Petrels: Their Ecology and Breeding Systems. John Warham (1990) Academic Press, London.

The behaviour, Population Biology and Physiology of the Petrels. John Warham (1996) Academic Press, London.

FACT SHEET 5 - Short-tailed Shearwater

2008-11-28T19:00:00.004+11:00

The Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris

A trans-equatorial migratory, pelagic seabird found in temperate to cool waters. The Short-tailed Shearwater travels the Pacific Ocean, in a spectacular migration that takes it to the Bering Sea each year during the non-breeding period. During the breeding season it can be found from southern Western Australia, to the west coast of New Zealand and down to the Antarctic Pack ice.

The Short-tailed Shearwater is the shearwater species most often seen washed up on beaches along the eastern coastline of Australia. These casualties almost always occur following the return flight from their northern Pacific Ocean non-breeding feeding grounds. Beach washed birds sometimes occur also along the shoreline of Japan following the northwards migration to the Arctic.

Profile of adult Short-taield Shearwater

The Short-tailed Shearwater is one of a group of large dark shearwaters that can be difficult to identify. However, features to look for include the short dark grey bill that appears to be stubbier than the bills of other large shearwaters; short rounded tail and wings held straight and stiff in flight with a shallow, rapid wing beat. The central underwing coverts often appearing slightly lighter than the rest of the underwing. In the hand the chicks have black toe nails unlike the diagnostic white nails of Wedge-tailed shearwater chicks.

Black toe nails diagnostic of Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwater

The Short-tailed Shearwater can be confused with the Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea), which has also been found breeding in very low numbers on Montagu Island. The Sooty Shearwater is distinctly larger, and has a proportionally and absolutely longer bill and is even paler on underwing than the Short-tailed Shearwater. The calls of both of these shearwaters are similar but easily distinguished one from the other but are unlike any other species. Described as “hysterical, rapidly repeated, wailing notes that are often given in duet”. The Sooty Shearwater call is deeper and more sonorous and is given at a slower rate than that of the Short-tailed Shearwater. The ecology and breeding biology of the Sooty Shearwater is very similar to that of the Short-tailed Shearwater although the Sooty breeds in cooler more southerly locations in New Zealand and nearby sub-antarctic Islands in addition to islands in the region of Tierra del Fuego and southern Chile. It also breeds at the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic. Spectacular yearly migration to the northern hemisphere and back matches that of the movements of the Short-tailed Shearwater but many Sooty Shearwater also perform an annual migration into the far North Atlantic.

Two views of a massed feeding frenzy of Short-tailed Sheawaters off Montagu Island.
At least 20,000 birds were present!

Diet of the Short-tailed Shearwater is mainly small fish, cephalopods (squid) but mostly Euphausiid krill is the predominant food source from cooler waters. Most items are taken from on or near the surface or by diving under water. Like many other seabirds this species has a well developed sense of smell that helps it locate food resources at sea.

A well developed Short-tailed Shearwater chick

A Sooty Shearwater chick.
Much longer bill than in Short-tailed Shearwater and a larger bird

The species breeds only along southern and eastern shores of Australia from southeastern Western Australia (Figure of Eight Island), round Tasmania, through Bass Strait and to as far north as Mutton Bird Island, off Coffs Harbour in NSW. Breeding occurs mostly on off-shore islands (or occasionally on promontories) and occur especially where soft sandy soils are most suitable for the digging of burrows. Adults form long-lasting monogamous pair bonds, possibly life-long with some birds living for 15 to 20 years. On Montagu Island birds return for breeding from late September. Age at first breeding is about 7 years. Experienced birds generally arriving back to the same spot where they have nested in previous years. They renew or establish new pair bonds, and dig or clean out potential nesting burrows. Burrows can be up to 2 m in length, and on Montagu Island are almost always under Spiny-headed Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia.

Birds then depart to feeding grounds in the neighbouring sea areas or probably for most of them to the rich Antarctica seas to build up body condition before the rigors of egg laying, incubation and raising the young. Birds return to the Island after an absence of approximately 3 weeks when the female lays a single egg, which is then invariably incubated by the male for the first shift. Egg laying occurs remarkably synchronously across all colonies throughout the breed range. Almost all eggs are laid during the last week of November. No replacement eggs are laid by breeding pairs should they fail. The pair take turns at incubating in periods lasting anything up to three weeks. There are usually five shifts. The newly hatched chick is brooded for a few days (usually by the female) then it is left on its own in the burrow while both adults head to sea to collect and return repeatedly with food. Early on these provisioning trips occur almost daily but later they become much more infrequent but the quantity of food delivered is much greater. These latter provisioning trips can take the adults to as far south as the edge of the Antarctic pack-ice and a system of short distance foraging (1-3 days) by each adult alternating with a long distant (9-17 days) forage typically occurs. An adult can be away for up to three weeks on these longer foraging trips which may take them for distances of up to 15 000 km or more for a single round trip.

On the Island the birds are mainly active at night, arriving in the early evening and departing early morning with birds landing near the nesting burrows and then scrambling amongst the Mat-rush tussocks to the burrow entrance to feed their chick.
By mid-March, feeding frequency of chicks is much reduced. The adult birds depart from early April to migrate to their over-wintering grounds. The chicks depart once fully fledged, approximately two weeks later.

The Short-tailed Shearwater could face threats to successful breeding from changes in the availability of food resources at sea or from adverse conditions on the Island. Montagu Island has no predators (e.g. snakes, rats) that might at present influence breeding success. However, heavy rains over the breeding period can very occasionally cause flooding, and very dry conditions could lead to the collapse of burrows during critical periods of the breeding season.

Further reading

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol 1, part A. Eds S. Marchant and P.J. Higgins (1990). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
Albatrosses and Petrels across the World. Michael Brooke (2004). Oxford University Press, Oxford.

The Petrels: Their Ecology and Breeding Systems. John Warham (1990) Academic Press, London.

The behaviour, Population Biology and Physiology of the Petrels. John Warham (1996) Academic Press, London.

FACT SHEET 6 - Little Penguin

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The Little Penguin Eudyptula minor

The Little Penguin is a flightless seabird that occurs along Australia’s southern coastline from Perth, Western Australia, to Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. Some of the largest colonies are those on Gabo Island (18,000 pairs), Phillip Island (14,000 pairs) and Montagu Island (6,000 pairs). They usually forage in shallow waters close to the coast. To catch their prey of squid, krill and small schooling fish they can dive to a depth of 60 m. Single birds or small groups are often seen foraging, however, due to a paucity of observations, it is not known whether Little Penguins undertake cooperative feeding. Their contact call at sea, a short sharp ‘bark’, can often be heard from the shoreline or nearby boats.

Little Penguins can stay at sea for months on end and generally roam hundreds of kilometers from their colonies, their buoyancy allowing them to rest on the surface with minimal energy expenditure. They only need to come on land for breeding and moulting. Their long oceanic sojourn can even allow sufficient time for barnacles to form on their feet and flippers.

At dusk, all around Montagu Island, penguins come ashore at ‘landing sites.’ Numbers vary from site to site and from day to day, but on a ‘good’ night there may be 100 or more penguins clambering onto the rocks at intensively used sites. There they rest, preen and, as dusk deepens, walk as a group up the slopes before they disperse over the island. Because the birds spend some time on the rocks, these locations become marked by their excrement. From the intensity of these deposits one can make a fair estimate how many birds are using a particular landing site.

Penguin landing sites

Map of the island showing penguin landing sites found in 1994.
They are classified under three categories according to activity.
Comparison of sites with a similar survey in 1992 is also indicated.

Colony, nest and mate fidelity is high in Little Penguins. During August and September the number of birds coming ashore increases, as males return to old nest sites or establish new ones and females return soon thereafter. Pairs are re-united or formed with elaborate trumpeting displays in which the male and female perform an out-of-phase duet, the birds recognising each other by their distinctive individual calls.

On Montagu Island, only a few penguins dig burrows and these are often located in shearwater colonies. Most of their nests can be found under large tussocks of the Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia, a dominant plant over much of the island. Two white eggs, similar in dimension to chicken eggs, are laid some days apart, after which both sexes share incubation duties equally. The length of each shift varies from a single day to 3 days and depends on the availability of food in close proximity to the colony. Changeover occurs at night and incubation is usually completed within 36 days. For the first fortnight after hatching the chicks are brooded by one or other parent to provide protection and assist with their thermoregulation. The returning parent feeds the begging chicks by regurgitating semi-digested food. After this early ‘guard stage’, the increased energetic requirements of the chicks require both parents to forage simultaneously. After about 5 weeks the chicks may sit outside the nest each evening waiting for their parents to return. Due to the vociferous appeals for food that continue even after feeding, parents often retreat some distance away for some rest. The chicks are ready to leave the nest between 7 and 9 weeks after hatching. The second-hatched chick often remains a few days longer in the nest than the first due to slight developmental differences Comes January, most of the young birds have left the island and, once in the water, are entirely independent from their parents.

Little Penguin heading towards its nest site

After departure of the young the adults prepare for the moult. Moult in penguins is very different from other species, which can continuously moult the occasional feather throughout the year. However, penguins cannot permit their complete waterproof feather covering to be compromised as the risk of hypothermia is increased with even a small gap in the plumage. Instead, penguins leave the water to replace their entire feather cover over a 2 to 3 week period of enforced starvation. On Montagu Island this occurs anytime from February to April, with early breeding individuals usually moulting early. In the weeks leading up to moulting the adults stay at sea, foraging intensively to build up fat reserves that will sustain them through the energetically demanding moult period. Before commencing the moult birds may reach twice their normal weight, which is about 2 kg.

Moulting penguin

One of the greatest threats to penguins on Montagu Island has been the increasing distribution of Kikuyu Grass Pennisetum clandestinum. This exotic grass forms thick, largely impenetrable mats and can entangle adults and chicks if their nests are amongst it. The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the management authority for Montagu Island, is currently undertaking a broad-scale Seabird Habitat Restoration Project that aims to control and reduce the spread of Kikuyu Grass and to restore degraded habitats with vegetation conducive to seabird nesting.

FACT SHEET 7 - Crested Tern

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The Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii

The Crested Tern is widespread around the coasts of the Indian Ocean, and western central Pacific Ocean. In Australia it is common in all coastal regions of the mainland and Tasmania. It is rarely found more than 150km from the coast. They are present on the NSW south coast throughout the year.

A rather large tern with a black cap, white forehead and distinctive yellow bill it is the most familiar tern on the south coast of NSW regularly seen feeding at sea or roosting on beaches, sand spits and rock walls etc. It is a day-time feeder most active on rising tides in the early morning and late afternoon. It sometimes feeds opportunistically following schools of small fish forced to the surface by dolphins or large gamefish. The Crested Tern feeds by plunging from a height of 7 – 10 metres, diving head or feet first into the sea to a depth of about half a metre. It feeds mainly on small fish but is also known to occasionally take prawns and squid. It is often seen ‘skimming’ the water with fish in its bill possibly cleaning it. It commonly steals food from other Crested Terns, usually at breeding colonies and has food taken from it by Gulls, Herons and other species of terns.

Crested Terns are highly vocal, especially during the breeding season. The most common call heard at sea or roosting sites away from the colony is a throaty ‘krrroorr’. On breeding colonies there are a variety of calls – alarm, between male and female during a changeover in incubation, locating chicks etc.

Crested Terns assembling at the ternery

At the start of the breeding season large numbers of terns begin to roost some distance from the nesting place at a traditional pre-breeding site, a ‘club’, which becomes the centre of displays between prospective mates, courtship behaviour/feeding and copulation. This occurs on Montagu between July and August. Behaviour at the ‘club’ tends to synchronise breeding behaviour. The ‘club’ at Montagu Island has been the flat rocks on either side of the landing site for well over 100 years.

About 2 weeks before laying flocks of terns fly over and hover over the nesting site and usually fly off without landing. The pattern is repeated each day with more and more birds landing on the colony until all settle and lay simultaneously (September on Montagu). Some new nests are added on the edges of the colony after the initial laying period, presumably by younger bird nesting for the first time.

Part of the Crested Tern ternery in October 2008

On Montagu the nesting sites vary from year to year. In the early 1900s the terns nested on the north island but over the last 20 years they have been nesting close to the light station. The breeding colony on Montagu Island is between 700 – 1000 nests and appears to vary according to the fluctuating food resources surrounding the island. Nests in the colony are tightly packed; a small scrape about 30cm in diameter, usually unlined or sparsely lined with grass. The female lays one egg (2 egg clutches are known but very rare). The egg is 61 X 41mm and comprises about 15% of the female body weight.

After laying both birds incubate the egg with shifts of between 45mins and 4 hours. The incubation period is between 21 and 24 days. On hatching the young are precocious and semi-nidifugous (covered in down feathers and active immediately after hatching). The chick is brooded and fed by both parents in the nest for about 3 days after which it is escorted by the parents some distance from the colony and brooded and protected by the parents until a crèche is formed with other chicks. The chicks are fed by the parents bill to bill and do not usually pick up fish dropped on the ground. Pioneering studies carried out on Montagu in the 1960s using sound spectrography showed that chicks utter unique calls that are immediately recognised by parents.

From Davies & Carrick 1962

Chicks take between 38-40 days to fledge (the acquisition of its first true flight feathers). Parents feed chicks until well after they have fledged and young birds can be seen still begging for food as late as April. This long dependency may be necessary to give the young time to perfect their fishing techniques before becoming completely independent. After the breeding season most birds depart although a few remain near the island throughout the year.

During the incubation and chick rearing stages Crested Terns are easily disturbed and eggs and young birds are often taken by predators. On Montagu Island, Silver Gulls continually patrol the edges of colonies awaiting their opportunity snatch eggs and chicks from temporarily unattended nests. For this reason it is important not to approach Crested Tern colonies during these times.

Further Reading

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol 3. Eds P.J. Higgins and S.S.J. Davies. (1996). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

The Shorebirds of Australia. Ed J.D. Pringle. (1987). Angus and Robertson. Sydney.

Nest and Eggs of Birds in Australia and Tasmania Vol 4. A.J. North (1913-14). The Australian Museum, Sydney

Davies, S.J.J.F. & R. Carrick (1962). On the ability of Crested Terns, Sterna bergii, to recognize their own chicks. Aust J. Zool 10: 171-177.

FACT SHEET 8 - Silver Gull

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The Silver Gull Chroicochepalus novaehollandiae

The Silver Gull is widespread throughout Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. It is found along the entire Australian coast and its offshore islands and is common west of the Great Dividing Range in inland Australia. They are essentially coastal birds that feed mainly on small fish, plankton and other marine animals, but they also scavenge and have learnt to exploit human activities. They are familiar birds at rubbish dumps, sewerage outfalls, public parks and sea-fronts. Because of this their numbers have increased rapidly with the increase in the human population.

Although pugnacious and daring when feeding they are cautious and wary when roosting and nesting. They roost in areas that are surrounded by water so that they are safe from land predators. For nesting they retreat to off-shore islands, one of which is Montagu Island. The breeding colony at Montagu has steadily decreased. When professional ornithologists first visited the island in 1907 it was noted ‘that there were clouds of white-winged birds hovering over sea and land, while great white clusters on the slopes denoted the presence of groups of breeding birds’. There were 5000 -10,000 nests in 1973 but there are now usually only 1500-2000 nests. This may be the result of the birds moving north to be nearer to denser areas of human settlement. The colony of gulls on Five Islands near Wollongong has grown spectacularly over the past 50 years.

Typical distribution in the gullery of nesting Silver Gull

Silver Gulls are gregarious but also very aggressive. When feeding their social instincts are over-ridden by the competition for food and dominant birds establish a pecking order, driving off rivals that come too close. In the breeding colony there is conflict between social attraction and territorial behaviour which prevents them from nesting too close together. At Montagu they begin to arrive in August, where they congregate on the flat rocks on either side of the landing. Some time in September they move en masse to the nesting site. Historically, Gulls have nested on many parts of the island. In the early 1900s they mainly nested on the north island but in recent years they have nested around the light station and on the paths from the landing.

After the pair-bond has been established, but before the eggs are laid, the female often solicits the male for food which he regurgitates for her. This courtship feeding seems to stimulate copulation which often follows. This food also adds to the female’s diet and helps her to produce eggs.

Silver Gull on eggs

The clutch varies from 1 – 3 eggs (usually 2) with the first laid egg usually the largest. The eggs are laid in a shallow nest made of grass and seaweed. Incubation begins after the first egg is laid so that chick hatching is asynchronous. The incubation period varies from between 19 – 26 days. Both birds incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. On hatching the young are precocious and semi-nidifugous (covered in down feathers and active immediately after hatching). The young stay in the nest for about one week attended by either or both parents after which they then hide in the nearby vegetation. Chicks that venture from the nesting site are viciously attacked by other gulls. About 6 weeks after hatching the chicks are abandoned by the parents and left to forage for themselves.

On Montagu, most young birds have left by the end of January although a few remain around the nesting colony all year round. Some dispersing young birds have been known to travel up to 1200km from their natal colony.

Immature gulls are quite different from adults. They have mottled brown and grey upper parts and do not acquire the distinctive white eyes with red eye-ring and bright red bill and legs until their second or third year. Even adult birds seem to have variations in the intensity of the colour of legs and beaks at different times of the year.

Further Reading

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol 3. Eds P.J. Higgins and S.S.J. Davies. (1996). Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

The Shorebirds of Australia. Ed J.D. Pringle. (1987). Angus and Robertson. Sydney.

Nest and Eggs of Birds in Australia and Tasmania Vol 4. A.J. North (1913-14). The Australian Museum, Sydney

The Herring Gull’s World. Niko Tinbergen. (1953) Collins, London. The classic account of gull behaviour.

Fantastic Journey

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Illustration prepared by Frank Knight and taken from Fantastic Journeys - The marvels of Animal Migration edited by R. Robin Baker 1991. Merehurst: London 240pp [ISBN 1-8539-185-2].

In this book this diagram accompanied the text on Seabirds by Peter Fullagar (pp 88-95). At the time of publication in the early 1990s there was still debate about the extent to which the Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris occurred in Antarctic waters during the breeding season. Shortly after publication it was established beyond doubt that this is indeed the main summer feeding area for breeding birds of this species and also for the Sooty Shearwater A. grisea. They both commute to and fro between their nest sites and the Antarctic pack ice region throughout the southern summertime.

The mythical figure-of-eight migration route for the Short-tailed Shearwater (so often shown in publications before this time) was deliberately not perpetuated! In fact, we now know (from GPS tracking of individuals using data-loggers attached year round) that for the Sooty Shearwater the annual trans-equatorial migration of adult breeding birds is more complex in that they move either directly to the north Pacific or circle up towards the Bering Sea via the west coast of the Americas. They also favour more than one 'overwintering' area in the north Pacific during this annual migration but they all, nevertheless, return via the central Pacific to their main breeding areas in New Zealand. Some breeding pairs migrate along the same general route as each other but others are as likely to head off independently and do not necessarily overwinter in the same area with their mates. Short-tailed shearwaters probably do much the same except there is no real evidence that many (or for that matter any) would head towards the eastern Pacific where they are considered to be extremely rare. It is most likely that Short-tailed Shearwaters take a great circle route to and from the North Pacific during this annual migration by adult breeding birds.

It is still not clear what pre-breeding Short-tailed or Sooty Shearwaters do on migration. Some Sooty Shearwaters may remain in the southern hemisphere year round although there is little evidence that Short-tailed Shearwaters do the same but some of the younger birds of both species may also remain in north Pacific waters and not return south during the southern summer.

Does Kikuyu grass affect shearweaters?

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The following text (in JPEG format) is from the Australian Zoologist Vol 33 (4), December 2006; pp 476-479. Click on the pages to enlarge

Birds breeding on Montagu Island

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From: Nature in Eurobodalla 7 (1992); pp 57-64. [published 29 Oct. 1993]

THE BREEDING BIRDS OF MONTAGU ISLAND, NSW.

P. J. Fullagar, P. C. Heyligers, M. A. Crowley, G. F. van Tets and C. C. Davey

Introduction

Montagu Island has long been known as an important area for breeding seabirds (Basset Hu111912; Fullagar 1973). The discovery of more than one species of shearwater (Puffinus sp.) nesting on the island in the early 1960s (Robinson 1962,1964) initiated an assessment of the breeding success of these petrels in late summer every year (Fullagar et al. 1990). However, only anecdotal information about other species had been gathered (Fullagar 1989) and, hence, when the opportunity arose to visit the island in the spring of 1988, we decided to carry out a survey of all breeding birds. Four years later a period of intense field work to investigate the size and distribution of the colony of Little Penguin Eudyptula minor (Fullagar & Heyligers 1992) provided another chance to check on breeding birds. Here we present the results of our 1988 and 1992 surveys.

Methods

Between 26 October and 1 November 1988 we searched the island plotting our data of resident birds on large-scale base maps from which we could orientate with accuracy.

In 1992 we were on the island between 16 November and I December. From 17 to 25 November, in the course of our work on Little Penguins, 19 transects were examined across the island spaced 100m apart. This ensured that we systematically visited all parts of the island from shore to shore. All resident birds were plotted using high-resolution maps.

We present our findings in the form of maps that show the extent of shoreline rock and the more prominent areas of exposed rock elsewhere on the island. On several maps we have indicated areas dominated by Common Reed Phragmites australis. These maps are taken from those prepared during the vegetation survey reported elsewhere in this publication (Heyligers 1993). In the text we refer to the northern part of Montagu Island as North Island and the southern as South Island.

Results
Colonial breeding seabirds (Figures I & 2).

There are six species of colonial seabirds that breed on Montagu Island.

No survey of Little Penguin nesting sites was attempted in 1988 but at least 75 clearly detectable landing sites were identified from the pathways of 'white-washings' on the rocks. A similar level of activity was confirmed during the survey in November 1992. Most of the 29 landing sites on North Island were found on the western and northern shores. Landing sites were distributed evenly around the shoreline of South Island.

In November 1992 we calculated that about 5000 Little Penguin nest sites were in use and we showed that they were scattered widely across the island (Fullagar & Heyligers 1992). All vegetated areas of significant size harbour breeding penguins. Only 11% of the sites found were in burrows; most were hidden in thick vegetation, often with Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia or Kikuyu Pennisetum clandestinum as a dominant component.

Despite this widespread distribution, nest sites are not spread uniformly. Concentrations occurred on North Island along the northern side and down the west and south-west edges, on South Island in the south and south-west, and to a lesser extent towards the north and in the central eastern areas. In contrast with our findings on North Island the survey located many nest sites in the central parts of South Island. This may point to the possibility that, for Little Penguins, man-made tracks provide an important means of access to the interior of the island.

Three species of shearwater are known to breed on Montagu Island - Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffnus pacifcus, Short-tailed Shearwater P. tenuirostris and Sooty Shearwater P. griseus. We have reported previously on the long-term study of these birds on Montagu Island and, in particular, on differences from year to year in numbers of chicks reared (Fullagar et al. 1990).

In October 1988 the boundaries of the shearwater colonies were determined by day and night searches (Fig. 1). The transect survey in 1992 confirmed that we had not overlooked any colonies and showed that the boundaries still conformed well to those mapped in 1988. We did not attempt to determine the relative distribution of the three species nor to calculate densities of breeding birds. Breeding densities of shearwaters in colonies like those on Montagu Island are best studied at the late chick stage when least damage to the fragile burrows can be expected. It has been suggested that about 15000 pairs of shearwaters breed annually on Montagu Island and it would seem that at least half of the breeding population will be Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Fullagar et al. 1990). Fewer than 100 pairs of Sooty Shearwaters are likely to breed on the island.

In 1988 the distribution of the breeding colony of Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae was mapped (Fig. 1) and numbers were estimated at between 1500-2000 pairs. No young had fledged and the largest young were large downies. There was evidence that more clutches were still to be laid. In 1992 (Fig. 2) the colony was much more concentrated about the rocky region near to the lighthouse buildings. Some chicks were just at the point of fledging by 16 November but many birds were on eggs and others still laying. Numbers were probably similar to those estimated for 1988.

In October 1988 Crested Tern Sterna bergii were breeding in two small colonies at the edge of the gull colony (Fig. 1). We counted about 100 breeding pairs in the smaller northern colony and 300 pairs in the southern colony. All birds were incubating and they were sitting very tightly. In November 1992 very many fewer terns bred and they settled in a quite different areajust below and to the west of the lighthouse (Fig.2). They were among the gulls; when closely examined on 16 November many had half to three-quarter grown chicks and some were still on eggs. The count suggested about 75, but certainly not more than 100 pairs.

Raptors (Figure 3)

Three species of bird of prey were found breeding, which is consistent with observations reported by Fullagar (1989).

In 1988 only one nest of the Swamp Harrier Circus approximans was discovered on North Island. It had a clutch of three eggs when the sitting bird was disturbed during darkness on the night of 30 October. At three other sites on South Island it was likely that nesting occurred, but no serious attempt was made to find these nests for fear of disturbing the birds. In 1992 we found three occupied nests during transect work and another that was clean but did not contain eggs. This unoccupied nest was close to the nest site found in 1988. A nest found on 19 November 1992 contained four well grown chicks; another was found the same day when the female was flushed from 2 eggs. The third nest, found on 25 November, had 3 eggs and again the female was flushed. In 1988 we saw up to 4 males and occasionally a female, but in 1992 the greatest number of Swamp Harriers seen at dusk on several evenings, when it seemed that females left their nests briefly, was 4 females with a single male on 27 November.

In both years a pair of Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus successfully reared a brood. In 1988 the pair was frequently seen in a gulch on the east of North Island with a single dependent but flying young, where a nest site was located on the steep south facing cliffs. In 1992 the pair had two flying young but on this occasion all birds were seen most frequently in the gulch on the south-east side of North Island, where the nest site was seen.

In both years a pair of Australian Kestrel F. cenchroides, bred at a site to the east of the old lightstation on the cliffs above a steep gulch. In 1988 the adults were still feeding chicks at this site but the brood was not visible. In 1992 the brood of two was on the wing by the time of our visit.

Buff-banded Rail Rallus philippensis (Figure 4)

This bird was detected most often by its sharp 'pilik' call when disturbed. It was found widely distributed but not in numbers that would suggest a very large population. No nests were found and no young certainly identified but we assume that our observations report resident breeding birds. Combining records from the two years suggest that territories remained similar over the period and it seems reasonable to conclude that at least four territories (=breeding pairs) were occupied. Without marked birds it is impossible to be certain and some outlying records may indeed be solitary birds.
Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus (Figure 2)

In 1988 three nest sites were found. One (site A) at the south-eastern side of the South Island was a clutch of 2 eggs being incubated in the early afternoon of 26 October but these eggs had gone two days later and there was no sign of young. Another clutch of I egg was found near the disused boat landing on the west side of the South Island (site B) on 30 October. On I November this egg was still present and warm, indicating that it was being incubated. Nearby on the rocky island a distinct nest scrape was found (site C) suggesting that an early attempt had failed.

In 1992 a clutch of I egg was being incubated on 17,19 and 25 November in a nest near to that used in 1988 at site A. Another clutch of 2 eggs, examined on 19 November at site C, had only I egg on 26 November but on 29 November a chick was being defended by two adults nearby and I cold egg still remained in the nest. No other clear evidence of breeding sites was obtained.

In both years we often sighted Sooty Oystercatchers in 'pairs' at many places on the rocky shoreline. Occasionally as many as 7 birds were seen together but we were unable to confirm any other breeding sites and we suspected that most of these other birds were either failed breeders or non-breeding. Furthermore, because they moved round the shoreline and flew between Montagu Island and the nearby mainland, it was impossible to determine exactly how many were present during each of the surveys. We have evidence only for two breeding pair, although the number thought to be present was 23 in 1988 and 14 in 1992.

Passerines (Figures 4, 5 & 6)
Four passerines are considered as breeding birds on Montagu Island.

A pair of Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena bred in 1988 in a shed north-east of the lighthouse (Fig.4). Their nest with 3 incubated eggs was found on 26 October and seen again on I November. In 1992 another nest in the shed was used and it contained 3 recently hatched young (3-4 days old) and an unhatched egg when inspected on 30 November.

We suspected that another nest site was in use at the lighthouse buildings but it was not found. In 1992 there were no signs of Welcome Swallows nesting at these buildings. In both years probably another pair of swallows was breeding somewhere along the cliff face in the north-west of North Island but the site was never discovered.

In October 1988 a single Richard's Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae sang often at two sites on the South Island, mostly from the grassy slopes east of the lighthouse buildings, sometimes along the shoreline at the extreme south. It was seen once on bare ground in the middle of the North Island. Evidently it was a solitary bird seeking a partner. No pipits were seen in 1992, so if this species bred in the past, as seems most likely, it had become locally extinct at about the time of our surveys.

The two remaining passerines, Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus and Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis, were commonly seen. They present considerable difficulties with interpretation of our field data. Our records were mainly obtained from birds in song, though both species were less vocal in November 1992 than they had been in October 1988. Without marked individuals or much closer observation we cannot determine with any confidence the number of breeding territories that might be involved. All records have been plotted (Figs 5 & 6) to show at least the general distribution across the vegetated parts of the island. In October 1988 a nest of the Grassbird with young was found but not closely examined and in 1992 a nest of the Cisticola with 3 eggs was found on 23 November. We would tentatively estimate about 12 territories for the Grassbird and about 18 territories for the Cisticola.

Acknowledgements

Annie Etheridge, Julie Hagelin, Phil Kingston, Nick Klomp, Geoff Larmour, David Purchase, Ederic Slater and Jamie Weber helped in the surveys on Montagu Island. National Parks and Wildlife Service of New South Wales gave permission to do this work and helped in many ways to make it all possible; in particular, we were greatly assisted by Ross Constable and his colleagues in Narooma. We heartily thank them all.

References

BASSET HULL, A. F. 1912. Avifauna of New South Wales Islands (Part 2). Emu 11:202-207.

FULLAGAR, P. J. 1973. Seabird Islands No. 2: Montagu Island, New South Wales. Aust. Bird Bander 11: 36-39.

FULLAGAR, P. J. 1989. Birds of Montagu Island, N.S.W. Nature in Eurobodalla 2: 27-35.

FULLAGAR, P. J., & P. C. HEYLIGERS 1992. Montagu Island Penguin Census November 1992. M I Partners, Report No. 1, December 1992. 10 pp.

FULLAGAR, P. J., C. C. DAVEY, G. F. van TETS & P. C. HEYLIGERS 1990. Is the Short-tailed Shearwater colonizing New South Wales? A long-term study on Montagu Island. Nature in Eurobodalla 5: 51-56.

HEYLIGERS, P. C. 1993. A vegetation map of Montagu Island 1990. Nature in Eurobodalla 7: 65-69.

ROBINSON, F. N. 1962. Shearwaters breeding on Montagu Island, New South Wales. Emu 61: 292-293. '

ROBINSON, F. N. 1964. The breeding of the Sooty Shearwater on Courts Island, Tasmania, and Montagu Island, N.S.W. Emu 63: 304-306.

M I Partners, P.O. Box 236, Moruya NSW 2537. 2 August 1993

Short-tailed Shearwaters on Montagu Island

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From: Nature in Eurobodalla 5 (1990); pp 51-56. [published 20 Dec 1991]

IS THE SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER COLONIZING NEW SOUTH WALES?

A long-term study on Montagu Island

P.J. FULLAGAR, C.C. DAVEY, G.F. VAN TETS & P.C. HEYLIGERS.

Introduction

Every year more than 15,000 pairs of shearwaters come to Montagu Island to breed (Fullagar 1973, 1989). Most arrive early in October to occupy their burrows for the summer months, leaving at the onset of autumn. A pair breeding successfully will have produced a single youngster, which will abandon its burrow and depart from the Island some time after the middle of April. Three closely allied species of Puffinus shearwaters breed in mixed colonies on Montagu Island.

Basset Hull was the first to report on the birds of the Island. He does not mention finding evidence of shearwaters on his first visit in mid September 1907 but records that he discovered a breeding colony of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters P. pacificus during his second visit early in October 1911 (Basset Hull 1908, 1912). For many years it was assumed that only Wedge-tailed Shearwaters bred on Montagu Island. This species feeds in warm waters and has a tropical breeding distribution throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans with Montagu Island now known to be the most southerly of its many breeding sites (Fullagar 1976).

Short-tailed Shearwaters P. tenuirostris were first discovered breeding in New South Wales when they were found on the Tollgate Islands off Batemans Bay in 1959 (Davies 1959). Soon, colonies were discovered elsewhere in New South Wales (Lane 1961), including the first report from Montagu Island in 1960 (Robinson 1962). A third species, the Sooty Shearwatcr P. griseus was recorded breeding in New South Wales as early as 1912 at the Broughton Islands to the north of Port Stephens (Keast & McGill 1948), but few additional sites were discovered until many years later (Lane & White 1983). Sooty Shearwaters were first found on Montagu Island in small numbers in 1962 (Robinson 1964).

Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters have more southerly breeding ranges than Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. Breeding distribution for the Short-tailed Shearwater is concentrated in Bass Strait, Spencer Gulf and many islands round Tasmania. The Sooty Shearwater breeds on many islands round New Zealand and others off the southern shores of South America. Both species prefer to feed in cooler waters and for this reason both undergo extensive annual migrations that take them back and forth from one polar region of food-rich waters to the other (Marchant & Higgins 1990).
Discovery of Short-tailed Shearwaters breeding on several islands in New South Wales was interpreted at first to be a northward expansion of breeding range. This idea gave rise to the expectation that, in due time, it would displace the Wedge-tailed Shearwater from some islands. F.N. Robinson and the late D.L. Serventy decided to investigate this process at the most southerly entrance of breeding Short-tailed Shearwaters into New South Wales, namely Montagu Island.

Methods

Initially, in late March 1960, individual burrows were marked with wooden stakes, to enable checking in following years. Two areas were used. One was set up in the first season on the southern part of the island and a second was added in 1961 on the northern part. For various reasons this method proved to be unsatisfactory and in 1967 the boundaries of the two study plots were marked with iron posts. The first study site is rectangular with an area of 3826 m2. If rocky ground is excluded, where no burrowing is possible, the effective area is 3050 m2. This corrected figure is used. The second study site is square and has an area of 1084 m2. Every year in late March, when the chicks are becoming fully fledged, all burrows in the two areas are examined. Chicks are identified (Fullagar 1974), weighed, measured and banded. Locations of burrows are recorded and vegetational details are sketched on a fine-scale grid map of each site. The methods allow accurate year-to-year comparisons.

Results

A twenty-five year run of annual surveys has shown surprising variations between years in the productivity of the shearwaters when measured by number of chicks likely to fledge (see Fig. la). Some of this variation is probably caused by the fact that all three species are near the limits of their breeding ranges. Densities have reached maxima of 59 chicks per 1000 m2 (south) and 91 per 1000 m2 (north) but average about 37 and 62 chicks per 1000 m2 respectively. On average two Sooty Shearwater chicks have been found on the southern site with a maximum of five in 1973. None has been found on the northern site.

The number of burrows (Fig. lb) varies in general agreement with numbers of chicks found but does not wholly reflect the population density. This can be explained to a large extent by a delay due to the time it takes for collapse and disappearance of unused burrows. Generally, however, the proportion of burrows occupied is about 40% of those present each year. Failure of all species in 1971 was due to an exceptionally wet breeding season.

Figure 1. Survey results from two study areas showing (a) number of shearwater chicks fledged; (b) number of burrows present and (c) varaition in the number of Short-tailed Sheawater Puffinus tenuirostris as percentage of the total chicks.

Contrary to expectations, the proportion of Short-tailed Shearwaters in the population declined (Fig. 1c). Additional observations have shown that in particular the Wedge-tailed Shearwater has gradually expanded its breeding sites and established new ones (Fig. 2 [maps]). On the other hand Short-tailed Shearwater colonies have hardly changed and only one new area has been colonized but only temporarily, because use of this new site has declined sharply. There does not appear to be a shortage of suitable breeding habitat (see Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Distribution of shearwater colonies in 1969 and 1988 and areas assumed to be suitable for burrowing.

Conclusions

The study provides evidence that the Short-tailed Shearwater is not colonizing Montagu Island at the expense of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater. Indeed, there has been a slight, but probably significant, trend towards an increasing proportion and number of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters in the colonies. It could be that warmer breeding seasons during the last few years have favoured Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and put those species more dependent on foods that are found in colder waters at a disadvantage.

The study has become an important monitoring program measuring annual productivity of shearwaters. There are few comparable long-term data sets for seabirds and none has a comparison between related species breeding synchronically at the one site. In this respect the composition of the colonies may be a sensitive indicator from year to year of environmental variations at the breeding sites as well as at the feeding areas. Disentangling effects brought about by the conditions at the colonies from those due to availability of the marine resources needed by the shearwaters is one of the important questions that remain to be answered by more extensive research. Regrettably, this is beyond the means at present available to us.

References

BASSET HULL, A.F.1908. The Montague Island Gullery. Emu 8: 80-85.
BASSET HULL, A.F. 1912. Avifauna of New South Wales (part 2). Emu 11: 202-207.
DAVIES, S.J.J.F. 1959. A note on the shearwaters breeding on the Tollgate Islands, N.S.W. Emu 59: 287-288.
FULLAGAR, P.J. 1973. Seabird Islands No. 2: Montagu Island, New South Wales. Aust. Bird Bander 11: 36-39.
FULLAGAR, P.J. 1974. The large shearwaters Puffinus spp. In: Lane, S.G. (Ed.) Bird in the hand. Bird Banders Association, Aust.: Sydney.
FULLAGAR, P.J. 1976. Wedge-tailed Shearwater. In:: H.J. Frith, (Ed.) Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian birds. Readers Digest: Sydney.
FULLAGAR, P.J.1989. Birds of Montagu Island, N.S.W. Nature in Eurobodalla 2 27-35.
HINDWOOD, K.A., & A.F. D'OMBRAIN 1960. Breeding of the Short-tailed Shearwater (Puffunus tenuirostris) and other seabirds on Broughton Island, N.S.W. Emu 60: 147-154
KEAST, J.A., & A.R.MCGILL..1948. The Sooty Shearwater in Australia. Emu 47: 199-202.
LANE, S.G. 1961. Nesting of the Short-tailed shearwater on the Five Islands, N.S.W. Emu 61: 65-66.
LANE, S.G., & G.WHITE. 1983. Nesting of the Sooty Shearwater in Australia. Emu 83: 117-118.
MARCHANT, S., & P. HIGGINS, 1990. The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 1A. Oxford University Press: Melbourne.
ROBINSON, F N. 1962 Shearwaters breeding on Montague Island, New South Wales. Emu 61: 292-293.
ROBINSON, F N.1964. The breeding of the Sooty Shearwater on Courts Island, Tasmania, and Montagu Island, N.S.W. Emu 63: 304-306.

P.J. FULLAGAR, C.C. DAVEY, G.F. VAN TETS & P.C. HEYLIGERS.
c/o CSIRO Division of Wildlife and Ecology, PO Box 84, Lyneham, ACT 2602.
9 September 1991

Montagu Island Vegetation before restoration

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From: Nature in Eurobodalla 7 (1992); pp 65-69. [published 29 Oct. 1993]

A VEGETATION MAP OF MONTAGU ISLAND, 1990.

Petrus C. Heyligers

Today, the general aspect of the vegetation on Montagu Island is determined by a small number of tough herbaceous plants. The trees and shrubs that were present when the lighthouse was built disappeared during the first few decades of lighthouse operation. Unfortunately, there are no reports on what species were present, nor on what they were used for. Grazing by rabbits and livestock, especially goats, not only prevented regeneration, but also influenced the composition of the vegetation that remained. Moreover, other species were introduced, either intentionally, for instance for lawns and gardens, or by accident, such as with fodder for the horses.

The floristic inventory of the island, published in Nature in Eurobodalla no. 2, 1989, included a short description of the vegetation. The purpose of the present article is to present a map of this vegetation, together with a descriptive legend. It records the distribution of the vegetation at the time the responsibility for the island was transferred from the Commonwealth of Australia to the State of New South Wales.

Users of this map must bear in mind that boundaries on vegetation maps are seldom sharp in nature. This is particularly well illustrated on Montagu Island, where differences in vegetational cover are often determined by a proportional change in co-dominance rather than by the juxtaposition of areas characterized by different species. The vegetation types have been named after their most common species and indicated on the map by the first letter of these names (Figure 1).

1. Mat-rush vegetation (M or m). Spiny-headed Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia is strongly dominant, but Bracken Pteridium esculentum is usually absent. The height of this and the following four vegetation types is about 0.8 to 1.2m, but could be more in favourable circumstances. Two aspects have been recognized: a more open one (m) in which the rush tussocks are so far apart that one can easily walk between them, and a denser one (M), where the crowns of the tussocks are touching or interlocking. In the open aspect two blue-flowered herbs, Rock Isotome Isotoma axillaris and Scurvy Weed Commelina cyanea, are the only other species of note present, Scurvy Weed forming in places a dense groundcover. Milk-vine Marsdenia rostrata may be present in the denser vegetation.

2. Mat-rush - Bracken vegetation (MB). This is a mixed vegetation of Mat-rush and Bracken, with Mat-rush often the more common of the two. The vegetation is generally dense. Apart from Milk-vine, other species present could include Scrub Nettle Urtica ncisa.

3. Bracken vegetation (B). Bracken is dominant; Mat-rush is absent or present in small numbers only. This vegetation is usually a dense tangle of bracken fronds and twiners such as Stephania Stephania japonica var. discolor.

4. Mat-rush - Tussock Grass vegetation (MT or mt). This type resembles Mat-rush vegetation, but is recognized by the scattered occurrence of Blue Tussock Grass Poa poiformis. As with Mat-rush vegetation, a denser (MT) and a more open aspect (mt) have been distinguished.

5. Tussock Grass - Mat-rush vegetation (TM). Tussock Grass, together with Mat-rush and, to a lesser extent, Knotted Club-rush Isolepis nodosa and Scrub Nettle, characterize the vegetation between bands of rock, cropping out at a shallow angle on North Island.

6. Mixed Grasses vegetation (G). This is a floristically mixed community on shallow soil, restricted to higher parts of the islands. Various grasses, for instance Kangaroo Grass Themeda triandra, Paddock Love-grass Eragrostis leptostachya, Blady Grass Imperata cylindrica, Blue Tussock Grass, and Prickly Couch Zoysia macrantha, together with Bracken, Mat-rush and Club-rush, occur in varying proportions. Creepers and twiners such as Scurvy Weed, Milk-vine and Stephania may be present, too. Generally, the vegetation is much shorter and less dense than that of the previous types.

7. Prickly Couch - Tussock Grass vegetation (PT). Prickly Couch, sometimes together with Salt Couch Sporobolus virginicus, characterize the low-lying southern end of South Island, the area where saltspray is most intense. Mixed in are patches of low Tussock Grass, some Club-rush and scattered New Zealand Spinach Tetragonia tetragonioides. Angled Lobelia Lobelia alata and Kidney Weed Dichondra repens occur among the couch vegetation; Annual Beardgrass Polypogon monspeliensis may be found in more open spots. The vegetation is low, rather carpet-like and is interspersed with many small rocky outcrops.

8. Kikuyu vegetation (K). Kikuyu Grass Pennisetum clandestinum is a dominant element in the vegetation on the western side of South Island and occurs as scattered patches elsewhere. It forms a dense, thick sward of intertwining runners which smothers other plants such as Mat-rush, Bracken, and Common Reed Phragmites australis, which originally occupied such sites. Kikuyu Grass was introduced to the Tilba district in the 1920s (N. Hoyer, pers. comm.), but the date of its arrival on Montagu Island is unknown.

Round the rock dome in the centre of South Island Buffalo Grass Stenotaphrum secundatum is often associated with Kikuyu Grass, or may even be predominant. It was introduced in 1916 as a lawn grass for the lighthouse area (M. Higgens, pers. comm.), where it still fulfils that function.

9. Rambling Dock - Ink Weed vegetation (Rl). In this type a few areas have been brought together dominated by species which take hold after severe disturbance of the existing vegetation. It has been named after two of the most prevalent of such species, viz. Rambling Dock Acetosa sagittata and Ink Weed Phytolacca octandra. Other species found in such areas include Scurvy Weed, Stinging Nettle, Blady Grass, and Black-berry Nightshade Solanum nigrum, as well as twiners, especially Stephania.

Common Reed.

The distribution of Reed presents an as yet unsolved ecological puzzle. Normally associated with swamps or at least high groundwater tables, Reed seems to defy this rule on Montagu Island as it grows round some of the rock outcrops on the highest parts of both islands. However, it never forms pure stands, but occurs mixed with other species, usually Mat-rush, Bracken, and Scrub Nettle; twiners, especially Stephania or Cape Ivy Delairea odorata, tend to be common, too. On the vegetation map the distribution of Reed has been indicated by dots.

Other Vegetation Types.

Margins of high cliffs have a characteristic band of Prickly Spear-grass Stipa stipoides, and ledges inaccessible to goats provide a refuge for shrubs such as Coast Rosemary Westringia fruticosa and White Correa Correa alba. Crevices in rocks may provide a foothold for Rock Fern Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia, Shore Spleenwort Asplenium obtusatum, or Australian Stonecrop Crassula sieberana. More eye-catching however, are the orange, yellow, grey and glaucous lichens, which on sea-facing rocks appear in a zonation reflecting the diminishing effect of salt spray.

Beaches are small and limited to somewhat protected situations. They are usually formed of small boulders or pebbles, occasionally of shell grit, and are home to New Zealand Spinach, European Sea-rocket Cakile maritima, Sea Spurge Euphorbia paralias and various species of Chenopodiaceae. Rock hollows filled with rainwater and areas influenced by groundwater seepage have different plant assemblages again. Unfortunately, interesting as these plant communities are, they are too small to be represented on a vegetation map at the scale presented here.

Acknowledgements.

Aerial photographs taken on 29 September 1988 by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service were kindly made available to us by the Narooma office of the Service. I also would like to express my appreciation for their permission to carry out the fieldwork for the vegetation map.

Petrus C. Heyligers, 3/2 Sexton Street, Cook, ACT 2614; 4 August 1993.

[A coloured version of the map prepared by Petrus Heyligers in 1990 representing the vegetation pattern on the island before any replanting and restoration work had occurred. Following this survey Kikuyu grass Pennisetum clandestinum continued to spread eastwards on South Island and became much more firmly established on North Island.]

Vascular flora of Montagu Island

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From: Nature in Eurobodalla 2 (1987); pp 36-40. [published 28 Feb 1989]

VASCULAR FLORA OF MONTAGU ISLAND, NSW

PETRUS C. HEYLIGERS and LAURIE G. ADAMS

INTRODUCTION (P. C. Heyligers)

Annotations on the map of 1887, compiled shortly after the building of the lighthouse and the living quarters, mention 'stunted trees' and 'scrub' growing on various parts of the Island, evoking an idea of vegetation very different from that of today. Hence, there can be little doubt that the present-day appearance and species composition of the vegetation has been largely shaped by more than a century of intense occupation by men, goats, horses and rabbits.

Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia, often with bracken Pteridium esculentum, dominates the vegetation on the deeper sandy soils found on the broad dome of the North Island and between the granite outcrops that dominate the appearance of the South Island. These outcrops locally enhance the soil-moisture regime as demonstrated by the occurrence of reed Phragmites australis in the mat-rush vegetation. On well-drained shallow soils, the mat-rush vegetation thins out and knotted club-rush Scirpus nodosus, and grasses such as blady grass Imperata cylindrica, love grass Eragrostis leptostachya, tussock grass Poa sp vs. poiformis, and Parramatta grass Sporobolus africanus become prominent.

A mixture of kikuyu grass Pennisetum clandestinum and buffalo grass Stenotaphrum secundatum covers the ground in and round the settlement, nicely trimmed into a lawn round the living quarters, checked by mowing on the tracks to the former and present boatlandings and round the chook-yard, and left to its own devices elsewhere. There it becomes an irregular mat, often quite thick, in which rabbits shelter and penguins burrow.

The rocky slopes and cliffs along the periphery of the islands provide a wealth of microhabitats and it is in those parts that the greatest floristic diversity is found. Rock slides and erosion caused by run-off provide bare surfaces that become footholds for many camp-followers, plants that are associated with human settlement and characterized as weeds, when they interfere with man's purposes. The commonest plant in this group is inkweed Phytolacca octandra, but various members of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) are in this group too. Seepages and rockpools harbour many moisture-loving species such as brookweed Samolus repens and waterbuttons Cotula coronopifolia; at the other extreme cliff faces provide a refuge for shrubby plants like coast rosemary Westringia fruticosa and white correa Correa alba, which probably occurred more widely before the advent of European man and his animals.

Botanical collections on Montagu Island were made by A. Rodway in the 1930s, C.A. Warrener in the 1950s, L. G. Adams in 1973 and myself in 1988. The following list is an updated version of a catalogue compiled by L. G. Adams. It is not exhaustive because several collections still need to be identified. Also, the fate of species only collected on earlier occasions, but not seen by Adams or myself (indicated with + in list) needs checking.

The sequence of the angiosperm families follows the Flora of Australia; the species nomenclature, S. W. L. Jacobs and J. Pickard's Plants of New South Wales (Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, 1981), except for families already treated in the Flora of Australia. The latter have been indicated by 'Fl.A'. followed by the relevant volume number. Authorities for botanical names have not been given as they can be found in the sources mentioned above. Several regional and state floras as well as B. A. Auld and R. W. Medd's Weeds (Inkata Press, Melbourne, 1987) have been consulted for common names.

LIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS (L. G. Adams and P. C. Heyligers)

* naturalized introduced species
** horticultural introduced species
+ species not seen or collected in 1973 and 1988.

FILICOPSIDA True Ferns

Adiantaceae Cheilanthes austrotenuffolia Rock Fern
Cyatheaceae Cyathea australis Rough Treefern
Dennstaedtiaceae Culcita dubia Common Ground-fern
Histiopteris incisa Bat's-wing Fern
Pteridium esculentum Bracken
Aspleniaceae Asplenium flabellifolium Necklace Fern
A. obtusatum Shore Spleenwort

MAGNOLIOPSIDA Angiosperms
MAGNOLIIDAE Dicotyledons

Ranunculaceae Ranunculus rioularis Small River Buttercup
Menispermaceae Stephania japonica var. discolor Stephania
Moraceae **Ficus cairica Fig
Urticaceae Urtica incisa Scrub Nettle
*U. urens Dwarf Nettle
Phytolaccaceae (Fl.A.4) *Phytolacca octandra Ink Weed
Aizoaceae (Fl.A.4) Carpobrotus sp. cf. glaucescens Pigface
Tetragonia tetragonioides New Zealand Spinach
Chenopodiaceae (Fl.A.4) Atriplex australasica Native Orache
+*Chenopodium album Fat Hen
C. carinatum Green Crumbleweed
C. glaucum Glaucous Goosefoot
*C. murale Nettle-leaf Goosefoot
Einadia hastata Berry Saltbush
E. nutans ssp. nutans Climbing Saltbush
E. trigonos Fish Weed
Enchylacna tomentosa Ruby Saltbush
Rhagodia candolleana Coastal Saltbush
*Salsola kali Roly-poly
Amaranthaceae Alternanthera denticulata Lesser Joyweed
+*Amaranthus uiridis Green Amaranth
Portulacaceae Portulaca oleracea Pigweed, Purslane
Basellaceae *Anredera cordifolia Lambs' Tails
Caryophyllaceae +*Cerastium sp. aff. glomeratum Mouse-ear Chickweed
+*Paronychia brasiliana Brasilian Whitlow
*Polycarpon tetraphyllum Fourleaf Allseed
*Sagina apetala Annual Pearlwort
*S. procumbens Spreading Pearlwort
*Spergularia marina Salt Sand-spurrey
*S. rubra Sand-spurrey
*Stellaria media Chickweed
Polygonaceae *Acetosa sagittata Rambling Dock
+*Acetosella vulgaris Sheep's Sorrel
Rumex brownli Swamp Dock
Elatinaceae Elatine gratioloides Waterwort
Malvaceae +*Malva paruiflora Small-flower Mallow

+*Modiola caroliniana Red-flower Mallow
Cucurbitaceae (Fl.A.8) *Cucumis myriocarpus Gooseberry Cucumber
Brassicaceae (Fl.A.8) *Cakile maritima European Sea Rocket
Epacridaceae +Leucopogon paruiflorus Coast Beard-heath
Primulaceae *Anagallis aruensis Scariet Pimpernel
Samolus repens Creeping Brookweed
Crassulaceae Crassula purpurata Purple Stonecrop
C. helmsii Swamp Stonecrop
C. sieberana Australian Stonecrop
Rosaceae *Aphanes aruensis Parsley Piert
**Prunus sp. cf. persica Peach, Nectarine
Rubus fruticosus, sp. agg. Blackberry
Mimosaceae Acacia longifolia var. sophorae Coast Wattle
Fabaceae *Dipogon lignosus Common Dolichos
Kennedia rubicunda Scarlet Runner
+Glycine clandestina Twining Glycine
+*Trifolium cernuum Drooping Flower Clover
+*T glomeratum Clustered Clover
+*T. repens White Clover
Myrtaceae Melaleuca armillaris Giant Honey-myrtle
**Metrosideros excelsa Pobutukawa
Euphorbiaceae Breynia oblongifolia Breynia
Rutaceae Correa alba White Correa
Oxalidaceae Oxalis corniculata Yellow Wood-sorrell
*O corymbosa Pink Shamrock
Geraniaceae Pelargonium australe Native Stork's-bill
**P. domesticum Garden Geranium
Apiaceae Apium prostratum Sea Celery
Centella cf cordifolia Heart-leaved Pennywort
*Hydrocotyle bonariensis South American Pennywort
H. peduncularis Hairy Pennywort
Asclepidiaceae Marsdenia rostrata Milk-vine
Tylophora barbata Bearded Tylophora
Solanaceae (Fl.A.29) *Datura stramonium Common Thorn-apple
*Nicotiana tabacum Tobacco
*Solanum nigrum Black-berry Nightshade
+S. prinophyllum Forest Nightshade
*S. mauritianum Wild Tobacco Tree
S. vescum Kangaroo Apple
Convolvulaceae Dichondra repens Kidney Weed
*Ipomoca cairica Coastal Morning Glory
Lamiaceae Ajuga australis Australian Bugle
Plectranthus paruiflorus Cock-spur Flower
Westringia fruticosa Coast Rosemary
Callitrichaceae Callitriche sonderi Matted Water Starwort
Scrophulariaceae Limosella australis Mudwort
Mimulus repens Creeping Monkey-flower
*Verbascum uirgatum Twiggy Mullein
Veronica calycina Forest Speedwell
Campanulaceae Wahlenbergia gracilis Native Bluebell
Isotoma axillaris Rock Isotome
Lobelia alata Angled Lobelia
Asteraceae +*Aster subulatus Bushy Starwort
Centipeda minima Spreading Sneezeweed
Cotula australis Carrot Weed
C. coronopifolia Waterbuttons
*Conyza bonariensis Flaxleaf Fleabane
+Gnaphalium involucratum a cudweed
+G. Iuteo-album Jersey Cudweed
+*G. purpureum Purplish Cudweed
*Hypochoeris glabra Smooth Catsear
*H. radicata Catsear, Flatweed
Senecio biserratus a groundsel
+S. hispidulus a fireweed
*S. mikanioides Cape Ivy
+*Soliva anthemifolia Dwarf Jojo
*Tagetes minuta Stinking Roger
*Taraxacum officinale Dandelion
*Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle
*Sonchus asper ssp. glaucescens Prickly Sowthistle
*S. oleraceus Common Sowthistle

LILIIDAE Monocotyiedons

Juncaginaceae Triglochin striata Streaked Arrowgrass
Araceae *Zantedeschia aethiopica Arum Lily, Calla Lily
Commelinaceae CommeGna cyanea Scurvy Weed
Centrolepidaceae Centrolepis strigosa Hairy Centrolepis
Juncaceae Juncus bulonius Toad Rush
*J. effusus Soft Rush
+J. planifolius Broad-leaf Rush
Cyperaceae +Carex appressa Tall Sedge
+Cyperus gracilis a sedge
C. polystachpos a sedge
Scirpus cernuas Nodding Club-rush
S. nodosus Knotted Club-rush
Poaceae +Agropyron scobrum Common Wheatgrass
Agrostis avenacea Blown Grass
+*Aira elegans Delicate Hair-grass
*Bromus unioloides Prairie Grass
*Cynodon daclylon Couch Grass
Dichelachne crinita Longhaired Plume-grass
*Digitaria ciliaris Crab Grass, Summer Grass
Eragrostis leptostachya Paddock Love-grass
Imperata cylndrica var. major Blady Grass
*Lagurus ovatus Hare's-tail Grass
+Microloena stipoides Weeping Grass
*Paspalum dilatatum Paspalum
P. distichum Water Couch
*Pennisetum clandestinum Kikuyu Grass
Phragmites australis Common Reed
*Poa annua Winter Grass
P. sp. vs. poiformis Tussock Grass
*Sporobolus africanus Parramatta Grass
+S. diander a rat's-tail grass
+S. elongatus Slender Rat's-tail Grass
S. virginicus Sand Couch, Salt Couch
*Stenotaphrum secundatum Buffalo Grass
Stipa teretifolia Prickly Spear-grass
Themeda australis Kangaroo Grass
*Vulpia bromoides Sauirrel-tail Fescue
Zoysia macrantha Prickly Couch
Musaceae (Fl.A.45) **Musa acuminata Banana
Liliaceae (Fl.A.45) Hypaxis hygrometrica Golden Weather-grass
Iridaceae (Fl.A.46) **Allium porrum Leek
**GIadiolus sp. (hybrid) Gladiolus
Agavaceae (Fl.A.46) **Agaue americana Century Plant

Xanthorrhocaceae (Fl.A.46) Lomandra longifolia Spiny-headed Mat-rush,
Sagg

PETRUS C. HEYLIGERS, CSIRO Div. Wildl. Ecol., PO Box 84, Lyneham, ACT 2602.
LAURIE G. ADAMS, Aust. Natn. Herb. GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601.

Birds of Montagu Island

2008-08-13T15:00:00.004+10:00

From: Nature in Eurobodalla 2 (1987); pp 27-35. [published 28 Feb. 1989]

BIRDS OF MONTAGU ISLAND, NSW

PETER J. FULLAGAR

(Received 24 November I988)

This account of the birds of Montagu Island, is based on records accumulated from 22 visits between 1965 and 1988. Each year about a week was spent on the Island between late March and early April (earliest arrival 20 March latest departure 10 April). The purpose of these visits was to make an annual census of shearwater (mutton bird) chicks within two study plots (for more details see Fullagar 1973). No visit was made in 1966 and, unfortunately, no useful notes on general ornithology were recorded in 1970.

Twenty years ago Hindwood (1969) published a list of birds for Montagu Island - compiled from his own and earlier records. He provided also many useful historical facts about the Island. Additional information, particularly concerning the seabirds, was summarized by Fullagar (1973). More recently Sullivan (1975) described some of the archaeological features of the island. Heyligers (in this issue[see elsewhere]) describes the vegetation of the Island and provides a list of the vascular plants. Further useful references not mentioned by any of the publications already quoted are: Barton 1978, 1979, 1982; Fullagar 1974; Marchant 1976 and Serventy 1968.

In preparing the species accounts I have followed the Recommended English names for Australian birds (Emu 77 (Suppl.): 245-307) and used the scientific names and taxonomic order of that document.

Following the scientific name I have indicated the numerical status of breeding species by 'orders of magnitude' (viz. 01 = 1-10 pairs; 02 = 11-100 etc.). Breeding species are then classified as B; migrants = M; scarce migrants = SM and temporary residents = TR. I then give the frequency of occurrence (%) calculated from the 22 annual surveys. Finally, l indicate text entries by Hindwood (1969) as (H) and Fullagar (1973) as (F). Nl is for North Island, Sl for South Island.

All records before 1965 have been summarized in my accounts. Additional records known to me, but from times of the year other than those of the surveys, are listed where useful. l have notes from January (1969; 1972) and October (1985; 1988). I have included the registration details of voucher specimens (all skeletal) held in the Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO, Canberra This information was kindly supplied by G. F. van Tets.

Birds of the Island are taken to be those seen on or over the Island and those seen at sea from the Island. However, a few sightings have been included that were in fact made during crossings between Narooma and the Island. More distant records during crossings between the Island and Bermagui have been excluded.

I have assembled records involving 93 species. Of these 15 are regarded as breeding on the island, 7 as temporary residents, 29 as migrants and 42 as scarce migrants. In two instances the species concerned has not been satisfactorily resolved (giant-petrels: martins).

Many observers have contributed to the notes from which this account of the birds of Montagu Island was prepared. l am very grateful for the assistance with the work over so many years. My records list the following participants: C. Ban (4 visits); S. Briggs; M.G. Brooker; M. Carins (3); G. Charlton; M. Crowley (3); C. C. Davey (7); H. J. de S. Disney; J. D. Dunsmore; D. Fullagar (3); D. P. Fullagar; K. Goebel; L. Gould; M. Guppy; P. Halabos; P. Haycock; E. Hesterman; R. Hesterman; P. Heyligers; P. Kingston; C. Kogon (12); V. Kogon (3); W. Lawler; M. Maher (2); S. Marchant; M. Mykytowycz (3); R. Mykytowycz (3); D. Purchase (4); M. Reed; F. N. Robinson (2); J. Shields; J. Short; E. Slater; D. Smith; L. Smith; P. C. O. Szabo; G. F. van Tets (6) and I. van Tets. For myself, I have to admit a score of 22 visits.

For permission to visit the island we have been grateful to the National Trust of Australia, Department of Defence and the Department of Transport. Many lightkeepers and their families have assisted us over the years and we thank them all most sincerely. For many years Bob Ingleton has arranged for our transport to and from the island on the Good Intent and provided this service with great cheerfulness. Montagu Island is now a Nature Reserve administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW and we thank the Service for continuing to support our studies on the birds, particularly the seabirds, of the island.

SYSTEMATIC LIST

Little Penguin Eudyptula minor 04; B; 100% (H.F.)
Present throughout the year, breeding spring and summer. Moulting birds ashore in large numbers in late summer. Widespread over whole Island, probably more abundant at southern end (Fullagar 1973).

Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans M; 10%.
Very few observed in late summer. Specimen beach-washed Apr. 1976 (PROS 463:BS423), adult male.

Black-browed Albatross Diomedea melanophrys M; 36%.
Often seen in late summer. Specimen beach-washed Oct. 1985 (PROS 1334:BS5687), adult.

Yellow-nosed Albatross Diomedea chlororhynchos M, 23%.
Frequently seen in late summer but not usually regarded as common off this coastline (Marchant 1976). Specimen (PROS - 1348:BS5702) beach-washed Apr. 1986, immature female.

Shy Albatross Diomedea cauta M; 27%.
Nominate subspecies cauta only form definitely identified. Beach-washed specimen Jan. 1969 (PROS - 90: BS797). Left distal end of tibiotarsus (charred) found by P. J. Fullagar, Apr. 1975 in midden (now destroyed) above old south landing (PROS - 1406).

Giant-petrel Macronectes sp. M; 9%.
Rarely seen in late summer. Specimen (indeterminate) beach-washed Mar. 1971 (PROS - 80:BS807). Reported Mar. 1967: 2 dark birds seen during crossing to Island from Narooma, 25 Mar. 1987.

Southern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides SM; 0%. Beach-washed specimen Apr. 1986 (PROS - 1345:BS5689).

Cape Petrel Daption capense SM; 0% (H).
Beach-washed or remains in White-bellied Sea-Eagle midden Jan. 1972 (PROS 735:BS2548 - found shot), (PROS - 723: BS2536), Mar. 1975 (PROS - 381:BS505) Oct. 1985 (PROS 1333:BS5686) and Mar. 1988 (PROS - 1385a:BS5739).

Great-winged Petrel Pterodroma macroptera SM; 5%.
One going S, 07:30, 5 Apr. 1976 (S. Marchant, P. Fullagar). Specimen (PROS 1259:BS5611) collected from White-bellied Sea-Eagle midden on beach NW side, Nl, Apr. 1985.

Antarctic Prion Pachyptila desolata SM; 0%.
Beach-washed specimen Apr. 1986 (PROS - 1345a:BS55699).

Fairy Prion Pachyptila turtur SM, 0% (H).
Beach-washed individuals found in Mar. 1969, 1975 and Apr. 1986. Specimen (PROS - 1346:BS5700) Apr. 1986.

Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes SM; 5%.
Four seen 3 Jan. 1969 and two seen 30 Mar. 1977 during crossings to Island.

Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus 04; B; 100%. (H.F.).
Second most abundant shearwater breeding on Island (Fullagar 1973). Evidence of increasing colony areas in recent years (Fullagar unpubl.).

Buller's Shearwater Puffinus bulleri SM; 0% (H.F.).
A bird taken from a burrow and banded (160-10789) 10 Oct. 1960 by F. N. Robinson was recovered 5 years later at New Brighton Beach, NSW (970 km NNE) (Purchase 1969). This is the only record.

Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus 02; B; 77% (H.F.).
The least common shearwater breeding on the Island (Fullagar 1973).

Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris 05; B; 100% (H.F.).
Most common shearwater breeding on the Island (Fullagar 1973). In the 29 seasons between 1960 and 1988 there is no evidence of increasing breeding numbers of this Shearwater at the expense of the Wedge tailed Shearwater (Fullagar 1973 and unpubl.). Both have certainly increased their colonized areas to some extent (Fullagar unpubl.).
Fluttering Shearwater Puffinus gavia M; 45% (H)
Regularly seen offshore and frequently beach-washed (Specimens Apr. 1969 PROS - 44:BS843; Mar. 1987 PROS - 1378:BS5732; Mar. 1988 PROS - 1384:BS5738).

White-faced Storm-Petrel Pelagodroma marina M; 0% (H.F.)
Certainly has not nested on the Island during 1960-88. Specimen from below light-tower Jan. 1972 (PROS - 722:BS2535). Several below the light-tower, Apr. 1976. Live bird caught and released near light-tower 2 Oct. 1985 (R. Jordan, P. J. Fullagar).

Common Diving-Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix SM; 0%
Specimens obtained from White-bellied Sea-Eagle midden, Nl, Mar. 1975 (PROS 383:BS503). One seen at close range (2m) 31 Oct.1988 E of Island (M. Crowley, G. F. van Tets, P. J. Fullagar, J. Short).

Australasian Gannet Morus serrator M; 100% (H).
Regularly seen in good numbers, immature birds predominate. Specimens obtained beach-washed Apr. 1978 (PEL - 346:BS2182); Apr. 1981 (PELS 384:BS2931); Apr. 1986 (PELS - 532:BS5762).

Brown Booby Sula leucogaster SM; 5%.
Adult going N, 11:05, 7Apr. 1976 c.1500m E of island (S. Marchant, P. J. Fullagar).

Black-faced Shag Leucocarbo fuscescens SM; 0% (H.F.).
A single bird associating with Great Cormorants reported by K. A. Hindwood et al. Dec. 1967. Two with c.30 Great Cormorants late Jan. 1972 (P. J. Fullagar). One 'possible' in Mar. 1975.

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo TR 82% (H.F.)
Regularly seen about the Island. No evidence of breeding but several birds courting and in full breeding plumages by Apr. (e.g. 1987). In late summer seen in numbers up to 60 loafing on rocks, specially on SW side of Island.

Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius SM 0% (H.F.)
Record reported by Hindwood (1969) seems likely to have been in error. No confirmed sighting since 1965, but species is reported on adjacent coastline (e.g. Narooma estuary).

Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris SM; 5%
One with 21 Great Cormorants 2 Oct. 1985 (R. Jordan, P. J. Fullagar). Seven Oct. 1988.

Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos TR; 45% (F.)
Frequently seen in late summer in small numbers. None in Oct. 1985 and 1988.

Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda SM; 14%
Seen three times, all adults: one S, 10:25, 4 Apr. 1976; two N 15:40, 29 Mar. 1980 (pink flush noted); one S, 13:00, 30 Mar. 1981. On all occasions, windless hot periods with calm seas.

White-faced Heron Ardea novaehollandiae TR; 82% (H.F.)
Regularly seen in late summer, usually up to 8 individuals, 13 in early Apr. 1974 (average 4.3). No indication of breeding, but 2 adults and 2 juveniles 1 Apr. 1981. None in Oct. 1988.

Cattle Egret Ardeola ibis M; 32%
About 12 seen 28 Mar. 1968 during crossing to Island but no other late summer sightings until 1976 when one arrived from ESE at 06:25 (S. Marchant, P. J. Fullagar). Next seen in 1984 and subsequent years as follows: 1985 (30); 1986 (2); 1987 (20); 1988 (5).

Little Egret Egretta garzetta SM; 5%
One seen SE side S1 27 Mar. 1987. Black bill noted (M. Crowley, G. F. van Tets).

Eastern Reef Egret Egretta sacra SM; 9% (H.F.)
One (grey phase) seen in gulch between Sl and N1 8 Apr. 1965. A White-faced Heron also present afforded direct comparison. Again recorded Apr. 1976.

Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopica SM; 5%
100-125 soaring above Island 14:45, 31 Mar. 1975; depart NW at 500m altitude.

Black-shouldered Kite Elanus notatus TR; 23%
Single birds seen occasionally in autumn. Immature bird Mar. 1978.

Letter-winged Kite Elanus scriptus SM, 5% One on Island early Apr. 1977 (photographed).

Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus TR; 45%
Singles often in late summer but up to 3 seen (Mar. 1987).

White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster TR; 100% (H)
Almost always two adults and an immature on Island in late summer. No evidence of breeding attempts except in early 1960s when a large nest was found on summit Nl (D. Purchase pers. comm.). No immatures only in 1965, 1975and 1976. Two immatures seen in 1969, 1973 and 1978. Freely cross to and fro between mainland and Island.

Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides SM; 5%
One seen 29 Mar. 1987, Nl (G.F. van Tets). Also seen 1 Apr. 1987, Nl.

Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 01; B; 91% (H)
Regularly present (usually 2) in late summer. Probably up to 4 pairs breed some years, e.g. 7 individuals present early Oct. 1985, of which at least two were males (R. Jordan, P. J. Fullagar).

Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus 01; B; 100% (H.)
A pair seen almost every year. Male only noted in 1973 and two falcons with tiercel in 1974 and again 1986. Free-flying well-grown eyasses seen with adults 1978 and 1979, but not in any other season. Additional tiercel present briefly 4 Apr. 1979, chased by local pair. Pair with two flying eyasses late Jan. 1972. Pair with one flying eyass Oct. 1988.

Brown Falcon Falco berigora TR; 41%
Not seen until 1975 but since then one often present late summer; two in 1982 and 1985

Australian Kestrel Falco cenchroides 01; B; 86% (H)
Regularly recorded in late summer but often singly. In nine years, records of two birds. Thought to breed most years on Island (lightkeepers) but occurrence and breeding success requires better documentation. Pair feeding young at nest in gulch E of lighthouses, Oct. 1988.

Stubble Quail Coturnix novaezelandiae SM; 5% (H)
Listed by Hindwood. Possibly one 24 Mar. 1971 (P. J. Fullagar). Certainly one Nl, 28 Oct. 1988 (E. Slater, A. Etheridge, P. J. Fullagar).

Buff-banded Rail Rallus philippensis 02; B; 68% (H)
Judged from numbers of calling birds in spring (e.g. Oct. 1985) a sizeable breeding population must occur. Difficult to find in late summer but often flushed or glimpsed briefly in open, leading to reasonably high detection-rate. An unfledged juvenile found summer 1976 (GRUS-53; no registration; female) collected by C. Tideman.

Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio SM. 5%
Fresh carcass at White-bellied Sea-Eagle midden Sl 4 Apr. 1976.

Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus 01; B; 100% (H.F.)
Recent figures suggest at least 4 pairs breed (e.g. Oct. 1985). In Oct. 1988 9 pairs seen and some birds observed moving between Island and mainland. During late summer surveys seen every year with maximum number (10) in 1986 and 1987 (average 4.5).

Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles SM; 9%
Calling birds heard at night early Apr. 1974 and 3 Apr. 1985.

Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres M
Up to 15 seen S. end Sl Oct. 1988.

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus SM, 9%
One SW side S1 30 Mar. 1987 (G. F. van Tets); also one same area 24 Mar. 1988 (P. Kingston).

Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa breuipes SM
One seen closely 26-29 Oct. 1988, Sl; identified on calls (M. Crowley, G. F. van Tets, P. J. Fullagar).

Great Skua [Brown Skua] Stercorarius skua M; 9%
Two seen at sea Mar. 1975 and one S 31 Mar. 1987.

South Polar Skua Stercorarius maccormicki SM; 5%
Large pale Skua passed S over Island (c. 100m distance), showing distinctive features of this species (pale head and neck), 17:48, 28 Mar. 1972 (P. J. Fullagar).

Arctic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus M; 68%
Often seen at sea in late summer. Largest number, 10+, Mar. 1972.

Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus M; 9%
Two passed W of Island one dark phase (or immature), one pale, 16:30, 29 Jan. 1972, going S. One S (E side of Island), 13:00h 4 Apr. 1976 (S. Marchant, P. J. Fullagar). Three N., 15:15, 7 Apr. 1976, seen during crossing to Narooma (S. Marchant, P. J. Fullagar). An immature chasing Silver Gulls off Narooma Heads 3 Apr. 1981.

Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae 04; B; 100% (H.F.)
Formerly 5,000-10,000 breeding pairs (Fullagar 1973) with suggestion of increasing abundance. Circumstantial evidence now indicates that numbers breeding may have declined in last decade. lnvestigation required. Good evidence that a few late summer chicks are reared in many years. Recently fledged or unfledged chicks found in Mar.-Apr. 1967, 1969, 1971, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1987.

White-fronted Tern Sterna striata M; 0% (H.F.)
Records based on recovery of band from carcass (raptor midden) reported by Hindwood. Good numbers observed at sea in Oct. 1988 with up to 50 resting ashore.

Crested Tern Sterna bergii 03; B; 100% (H.F.)
Estimated number of pairs breeding, 1,000 (Fullagar 1973). Few birds seen ashore in late summer and never numerous at sea at that time.

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus regina SM; 0% (H)
Specimen found Dec. 1967 (Hindwod 1969).

Feral Pigeon Columba livia SM; 0% (H)
Reported by Hindwood (1969) in Apr. 1963.

Galah Cacatua roseicapilla SM; 0%
Fifteen at S end of Island early morning, 3 Oct. 1985 (P. J. Fullagar).

Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma SM
One, probably immature male (dull forehead and facial areas but bright wingcoverts) seen at close range Sl late evening, 26 Oct. 1988 (E. Slater, A. Etheridge, P. Heyligers, G. F. van Tets, M. Crowley, P. J. Fullagar).

Shining Bronze-cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus SM 0%
Specimen found summer 1976 at lighthouse (CUCS - 6:BS1785), female. Race not determined.

Barn Owl Tyto alba SM, 0%
Carcass found on beach between Nl and Sl, Mar. 1973. (STRS - 9:8S343).

White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus M; 14% (H)
Between 60-80 soaring above Island (c. 300m), 06:30, 29 Mar. 1969 moving W towards Narooma. Five seen soaring before an approaching southerly front, 17:30, 31 Mar. 1978; 58 soaring (c. 300m), 06:30, 30 Mar. 1987.

Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae M; 0% (H)
Reported Sept. 1963 (Hindwood 1969). Again, one before Christmas 1968 (W. Bevan, Acting Head Keeper).

Sacred Kingfisher Halcyon sancta M; 5% (H)
Recorded 11 Dec. 1967 (Hindwood 1969). One, Sl, 3 Apr. 1986 (W. Lawler); another, 29 Oct. 1988 (P. Heyligers, M. Crowley).

[Skylark Alauda arvensis SM; 5%]
One 'probable', Sl, 30 Mar. 1987 (P. J. Fullagar) and again next day (M. Crowley).

Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena 01; B; (H) 91%
Small numbers seen almost every year, maximum 8, 1 Apr. 1979. Thought to breed regularly. Incubating birds at two sites Oct. 1988.

Tree Martin Cecropis nigricans SM; 5% (H)
Tree Martin recorded 10 Dec. 1967 (Hindwood 1969). About 10, either this species or Fairy Martin C. ariel going N, 09:05, 4 Apr. 1977.

Richard's Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae 01; B; 45% (H)
A few seen irregularly and suggestion that less often in latter years (i.e. 7 of 9 years up to 1975 v. 3 of 13 years since). Open grassy areas (e.g. closely grazed paths) are important.

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae Sm
One, 29 Oct. 1988 (P. J. Fullagar, A. Etheridge, M. Crowley).

White-winged Triller Lalage sueurii SM; 0% (H)
A male at light, spring 1965, reported by Hindwood (1969). A male and female, 29 Oct. 1988.

Rose Robin Petroica rosea M; 14%
A male and a female/immature, 7 Apr. 1986 and a female/immature,31 Mar. 1987.

Pink Robin Petroica rodinogaster SM; 5~%O
A female/immature at Lightkeepers Houses afternoon, 27 Mar. 1987 (M. Crowley, P. J. Fullagar).

Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea M; 5%.
A female/immature seen several days early Apr. 1984 and a female/immature 1 Oct. 1985 (R. Jordan, P. J. Fullagar).

Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolor M; 18%
A female/immature late Mar. 1968. A male and female/immature near Lightkeepers' Houses, 24-25 Mar. 1971. A male NW side of Nl, 11 Apr. 1973. A female/immature at gulches between Nl and Sl, 2 Apr. 1978. Again a female/immature same area, 6-7 Apr. 1986.

Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis M; 14%
Immature, 24 Mar. 1971. A female/immature, late Mar. 1975; immature, late Mar. 1983.

Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris M; 9%
A female/immature, late Mar. 1975; similar bird, 7 Apr. 1986.

Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis M; 9%
One, 06:00, 30 Mar. 1979. Two, 29 Mar. 1987.

Leaden Flyeatcher Myiagra rubecula M; 36% (H)
Almost all records of single birds and female/immatures, except in 1983 when two males.

Satin Flyeatcher Myiagra cyanoleuca SM
A male in gulches between Nl and Sl, 31 Oct. 1988 (A. Etheridge, G. F. van Tets).

Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons M; 23%
All records of single birds. A tired juvenile early morning, 7 Apr. 1976 at Lightkeepers' Houses (S. Marchant, P. J. Fullagar).

Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa M; 50%
Often seen in late summer; largest number, 5 in 1975.

Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys M; 27% (H)
Infrequent records, always single birds in late summer but two 3 Oct. 1985 (P. J. Fullagar).

Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus 02; B; (36%)
First found 29 Mar. 1978 when bird calling near landing jetty at start of track to Lighthouse. Recorded most years from then, in late summer, but much easier to detect by song in spring. In Oct.1985 probably 5-10 singing birds on Sl (mostly SW side); none on Nl. (R. Jordan, P. J. Fullagar). Census required. Assumed to breed.

Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis 02; B; 100% (H)
Always readily found, even in late summer, especially on calm days. Census required. Throughout all well vegetated areas.

Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera SM; 5%
One sheltering from 40-knot S wind, 15: 10, 3 Apr. 1978, in gulch above landing jetty (P. J. Fullagar).

Yellow-faced Honeyeater Lichenostomus chrysops SM; 0% (H)
Reported by Hindwood (1969) in Apr. 1963 and Nov. 1965.

Silvereye Zosterops lateralis M; 77% (H)
From 1973 seen every year. In late summer restless flocks regular, sometimes as many as 50. Frequently move through, stopping only briefly.

European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis SM
One adult, Sl, feeding on sow thistle Sonchus sp. 29 Oct. 1988 (M. Crowley).

Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris SM; 0% (H)
One, Sl, late evening 1 Oct. 1985.

Australian Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca SM; 5%
Adult female near Lightkeepers' Houses early Apr. 1986.

Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus SM; 0% (H)
Reported by Hindwood (1969) in late Apr. 1963.

Australian Raven Corvus coronoides M; 27% (H)
Brief visits by birds from mainland. Almost always two. An immature early morning, 3 Oct. 1985.

REFERENCES

BARTON, D. 1978. Birds seen at sea off southern NSW and eastern Victoria. Aust. Seabird Gp Nl. 10:14-19.

—1979. Albatross in the western Tasman Sea. Emu. 79:31-35.

—1982. Notes on skuas and jaegers in the western Tasman Sea. Emu. 82:56-59.

FULLAGAR, P. J. 1973. Seabird Islands No. 2: Montagu Island, New South Wales. Aust. Bird Bander. 11(2):36-39.

—1974. The larger shearwaters Puffinus sp In: Lane S.G. (Ed.) Bird in the hand. Bird Banders Ass. Aust.: Sydney.

HINDWOOD, K. A. 1969. The Birds of Montagu Island, New South Wales. Proc. R. zool. Soc. NSW. 1967-68: 46-52.

MARCHANT, S. 1976. A seawatch on the southern coast of New South Wales. Emu. 76:9-18.

PURCHASE, D. 1969. Twelfth Annual Report of the Australian Bird-banding Scheme, July 1965 to June 1966. CSIRO Div. Wildl. Res. Tech. Pap. 16.

SERVENTY, D. L. 1963. Egg-laying timetable of the Slender-billed Shearwater. Proc. Xlll Int. orn. Congr. 338-343.

SULLIVAN, M. E. An archaeological survey of Montagu Island, NSW. Aust. Archaeol. 2:37-45.

P. J. FULLAGAR, CSIRO Div. Wildl. Ecol., P.O. Box 84, Lyneham ACT 2602.