The Au\trqlian Bird Bander Vol. 14, No. I

SEABIRDISLANDS No.27

Lady Julia Percy Island,

Location:38'25'S., 142'00'E.; 9 km offshore from Yarnbuk and 22 km westof Port Fairv. Vic. LADYJULIA PERCY ISLAND VICTOR IA Status:Slate Fauna Reserveunder the control of the Department of Fisheriesand Wildlife, Vic.: ",_r= entry permit required. ______]k'

Description:100 ha; 2.4 km long by 1.2 km at the widest point and roughly in the shapeof an arrowhead;flat topped with sheercliffs rising to some 30 m to 45m. In two placesthe cliffs have collapsedand the resulting talus slopesprovide nesting sites for seabirds,beaches where seals ,f' congregate,and the only points of reasonable accessfor human beings to climb to the top of the island. Formed during a time of submarinevolcanic activity, the island consistsof six layersof basalt lava separatedby beds of volcanic ash, all laid down during successiveeruptions; surrounded at sea level by a seriesof reefs, the exposedfaces A are stable with little erosion occurring. An early survey report in 1862 mentionedthe presenceof low, thick scrub,rushes and creepers, but neither sclub nor creeDersexist now. The vegetationtypes can be grbuped broading into six categoriesgenerally according to the dominant ,rt:"",.""^::::: plant or plants as follows:

L Bracken Pteridfunl esculentum- in associationwith some grasses,thistles and other plants. the bracken 5. Angular Noon-flower (prytace) Carpobrotus acqui- covers about 90 per cent of the island's slrface. laterale - this plant forms a dense mat around 2. Variable Groundsel Jzr?cio lautus - a broad striD Horseshoe Bay, and over Thunder Point and Pin- dominated by this plant exists at the southern end nicle Point at the elevated south end. of the island. 6. Sea Celery Apium austtale a small area at the :1. Gmssland - the eastern and central Dortions are east end of Seal Bay contains this plant. \tell grassed with Blown Grass Agrostis avenacea, Silvery Hair-grass Aira caryophyllea and other Landing: The only satisfactory landing place is specles. Dinghy Cove, and then only in calm conditions. 4 Swamp - a small depression is located south-east of the centre of the island. Chenopodium glaucum ^nd A agallis arvensis are the dominadt plants in OrnithologicalHistory: The early visitors to the rnts area. island made no mention of the bird life. their

29 The Australiqn Bird Bander March, 1976 remarks being confinedto the generalvegetation and formation. The McCoy Societyfor Field Investigationand Researchcarried out the first study of the Island's fauna during a two"monthcamp in the summerof 1935-19361r.The report listed 11 indigenous nestingspecies including the ,Short tailed Shearwater, Fairy Prion and Common Diving-petrel;subsequent observations have con- firmed the presenceof substantialnesting colonies of thesespecies. . Approaching Dinghy Cove which i.s behind H. E. Tarr carnped on the island from 24 the higher headlsnd (looking east). Novemberto 8 December1949 and recordedhis Photo:H. E. Tarr observationsin detail?. Subsequentlyornitholo- gical interest in the island increased,as did the frequency of visits by ornithologists;in 1962, a report on the fauna, preparedby J. L. McKean and others for the Victorian Ornithological ResearchGroup, was publishedby the Fisheries and Wildlife DeDartmentand submitted to the Statewildlife ReiervesInvestigation Committeec. Resultingfrom this action,in 1964 the island was declareda Wildlife Reserve.

During a visit in December1964, J. Wheeler a Silhouette of the island ( Iooking south-west). estimatedthat there were at least 90 000 burrows in use by breedingShort-tailed Shearwaten3.

burrows prior to that time. Probably present to Breeding Seabirdsand Status breed from about Septemberto early February. Endyptula minor LittTe Penguin-These birds Estimated500 breedingpairs. - come ashore mainly in three places Dinghy Puffinus tenuirostris Shorttailed Shearwater- Cove, SealBay and McCoy Platform; they breed - Surprisingly there is no referencein the early extensivelyover the island in the talus slopes, reDorts on the island to the oresenceof this in caves,in burrows around these areasand on abundant breeding species. Thl first recorded the top of the island. Probably presentto breed breedingwas in 1935-36rrwhen they were found from about August to January, although some in "large There burrows are voung nesting numbers". may still be ashorein early March. A few distributed over much of th€ surface of the birds mav be found on the island at any time island. Presentto breed from late Septemberto throushoutthe year. Estimated5000 to 10000 errly May. Estimrted90000 breedirrgpairs-. oreeqlngpalrs. Pe lecanoides ur inatrix Common Diving-petrel- Pachyptila turtur Fairy Prion-Nests are found This speciesuses the samehabitat for nestingas in a number of places,the nost accessiblebeing P. turtur under the tumbled bouldersin the talus at Dinshy Cove and amongthe tumbled rocks at slopesof Dinghy Cove and SealBay. Somenests SealBay. On this island these birds nest among in holes excavated in parts of the cliff face. brulders,whereas in adiacentisland colonies they Probably presentto breed from June (?) to late excavateburrows in the surfacesoil. It has been November or early December.Estimated breed- suggestedthat the number of rabbits on the ing pairs not known. island may have causedthe birds to adopt the rock-strewnslones. but as there are no ornitho- Haematopusluliginosus Sootv Oystercatcher- losical records-before the introduction of the Severalpairs were observedin December1963; rabbitsin 1868.it is not known if they bred in vouns birds have been found.

30 The Auslralio.nBird Band.er Vol. 14, No. I

Factors Affecting Status Bibliography 'Recovery The various human activities have had their 1. Aron. (1966), Round-up', A st. Bird Bander 4: 80-82. effect on the island's wildlife. A iarge colony of 'Lady Fur Sealsattracted sealers and there was heaw 2. McKean, J. (1961), Julia Percy lsland',Bird toll of these animals early in the nineteentir Observer 352i 3 3. Pescott,T. (1965), 'A Visit to Lady Julia Percy century1r. The sealers obviously lived on the Isfand'. I/rct. Nat. 9lt 290-301. island for long intervals although there was no 4. Pescott,T. (1968), 'Lady Julia Percy Island Re- permanentsettlement. In the 1870s,guano, pre- visited'. I/rct. Nat. 85i 125-128- sumably from the seal colonies, was removed 5. Purchase,D. (1969), Fourteenth Annual Report of from the island but the high cost and physical the Australian Bird-banding Scheme, July 1967 to diffculties in shipping it apparently stifled the June 1968', Tech. Pap. Dh'. Wildl. R?r. C.'IRO, (p. industrylr. Similarly two attemptsat grazing,one ,{z,rt., No. 19 44). 6. Simpson,K. (1961), 'Fauna Survey Grolup',Vict. in 1879 and the other in 1908, and pig farming Nat. 77i 277. in 1884 also failedl1.The pigs were releasedbut 7. Tarr, H. E. (1954), 'Diary Notes from Lady Julia were later rounded up by fishermenand taken to Percy Island (Victoria) - November-December, market. Rabbits, first released in 18681r, 1949', Eird Observer 276: 2-4 (Nov.): 2771 3-7 (Dec.). flourished. In one month durins 1949 over 'Report I0 000 pairs were trapped.Myxomatosus later 8. Wheeler, J. (1965), on Birds Recorded by Geelong Wildlife Research Group on Visit to Lady took a heavy toll but some still remain. Julia Percy lsla\nd,27.12.64 to 30.12.64', Geelons Each of these factors has had considerable Nat. 2t 50-57, 9. V.O.R.G. (1962), The Fauna of Lady Julia Percy effect on the vegetation,as also have fires, with Island and . Submissionto the State resultant soil erosion. At times, rapid degenera- Wildlife ReservesInvestigation Committee. Fisheries tion of petrel and penguinburrows has resulted. and Wildlife Department. 10. Wood Jones,F. (1936), 'The Breedingof Prions OTHERVERTEBRATES (still present) on Islands off the Coast of Victotia', Etnu 36i Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, Tasmanian Fur 186-188. Seal Arctocephalus pusillus dorilerus, Sea-lion ll. Wood Jones,F. et al. (1937\,'Lady Julia Percy Island. Reports of the Expedition of the Mccoy Neophoca cinereq'- and,White's Skink Cgernia Society for Field Investigation and Research'. whitei. (Section Aves), Proc. Rot, Soc. ol Vic. 491 327- 437. Other SeabirdsRecordeil Eu.lyptcs atratus Erect-crestedPenguin (derelict) Acknowledgem€nts Phalacrocorax luscescens Black-faced Cormorant I wish to thank the DeDartmentof Fisheries Pltalacrocorax varius Pied Cormorant and Wildlife for permissionto study the reports Phalacrocorar melanoleucos Little Pied Cormorant Egrettt sacra Reef Heron on the fauna and flora of the island, and Mr D. Larus noyaehollandiae Silver Gull Purchase, Secretary, Australian Bird-banding Latrts pacificus Pacific Gull Scheme.for checkingbanding data.

Baniling Period21.11.60 to 30.6.75 "adults" Pachyptilaturtur-451 banded;44 indi- viduals recaptured51 times at banding place. Puffinustenuirostris-l890 "adults" banded.Two bandedon 29 December1964 were recoveredin the Nofth Pacific, one in the Gulf of Alaska on 26 March 19661and one nearPilot Point, Alaska, about 20 July 19675.Eight have been recovered on the east coast of and 26 individuals have been recaptured 27 times at the banding place. T. lV. Pescox, "adults"i Pelecanoidesurinatrix-Z4 14 nestlinss Date compiled: 4 Yictoria Terrace, banded.No recoveriesreported. 15 June 1975 Belmont, Geelong,Vic. 3t