Additional Visits to Lslands Off Wilsons Promontory, Victoria

September.198.1 AdditionalVisits to lslandsoff WilsonsPromontory, Victoria S. G. LANE and H. BATTAM From 26 to 28 November 1980. addilional visits were made to six islands off the southern and western coasts of Wilsons Promontory. The islands visited were Wattle and Kanownaon 26 November.Shellback and Normanon 27 November.and McHuohand Dannevigon 28 November.We were accompaniedby (Mrs) L. F. Lane on all visiis and by J. W. Hardy tor the first two days only. Primarily,the purposeof the visitswas to endeavourto obtain furtherinlormation on the breedangof Fairy Prions' and Common Diving-Petrels.The limited time spent on the islands was directed mainly towards searchingfor these birds in habitats which appearedsuitable. No specilicor systematicsearching was made for other species. 'l-here are l -5 islands olt Wilsons Promontory Seal, Notch. Cliffy and Rag Islands - duc to and three within Corner Inlet - Benison.Gran- bacl weather, and, of course, Cleft Island. We ite and Doughboy - on which seabirds have approachedclose to Cleft Island on two occas- been recordedbreeding. There is one other, Cleft sions and, although landing would have been lsland or Skull Rock, on which breeding un- possibleonto a rock shelf, further progresswould doubtedlyoccurs. Cleft Island is a granitemono- have been out of the questionexcept for properly lith in the Anser Group which rises almost per- equippedrock climbers. pendicularlyto a height of about l13 m. There (Vic.) are two large caves on the western side; the The Fisheriesand Wildlife Division al- roof of the smaller cave is some 25 m above the so conducted surveys on these and other Vic- sea which forms its 'floor'. That roof is also the torian islands irr 1978/79. Results from these floclr of the other, larger cave; soil and vege- surveys were published in the Seabird Island no. November 1980. tution cover its surface.From the launch. bur- Seriesin Corella Vol. 4, 4, rows. probably belonging to Short-tailed Shear- The information fronr our most recent visits waters, were visiblc among the more open parts (in Novenrber1980), obtainedafter publication of the Pocrand Carpobrotus which comprise the of that issueof C<trella,and commentsorr breed- dominant vegetation.In addition to the shear- ing seabirds and other selectedspecies for each waters which probably breed on the island, island visited follow. The dates of our visits to Black-faced Sha-ushave been reported breeding each island are given in Appendix 2. on the south-easternside ( Lane I 980) . The island was circumnavigatedon 26 November lValtle Island 1980 but there u'as no visible evidenceof their Visited07:00-l l :00 hrs on 26.11.80. recentbreeding. Lll'TLE PENGUIN Well distributed and Prior to 1978, few ornithologistshad visited breeding. Sonre burrows contained two adults, Wilsons Pronontory islands except to study the some an adult and two eggs,some an adult. with Cape Barren Geese. Published information ort two small chicks, and soll]e had one or two seabirdsbreeding on these islands was sketchy. large chicks; 16 large chicks were banded. In l97tt we visited six islands (Lane 1979), FAIRY PRION - A few nest siteswere found and nine islandswere visitedin 1979 (Lane and along the centre ol the northern coast. Four Battam 1980),and with thosevisited in 1980, a birds were located in cavities but could not be total of 27 visits was made to 14 islands.We extracted; one other, brooding an egg, was were unable tt'r visit the Seal lsland Group - captured and banded. SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER - Su11s\,v5 were well distributed over most of the vegetated Appendix I lists the scientific names of all species areas except where soil depth was insufticient. rcferred t() in the text. The majority of burrows had been freshly acti- 92 S. G. Lane& H. Bauam:lslands olf Wilsons Promontory Corella5 (4) vatccl but only about -50 per cent of those visit. Five nests,four with two esss and one with checkedcontained a bird. Seventeenadults, eight a single egg were seen. incubatinsan egg, were banded. 'adults' Other Species Seen CAPE BARREN GOOSE - Four were Capellarren Coose - sighted, two almost-flying youn were caught 6 WelcomcSlvallou, S(x)tv O] stcrcatcher Forest Raven and bandedbut a rhird escaped. Austrafian Fur Seals Arctocephalus pusillus, WHITE-BELLIED SEA-EAGLE - One adutt estimatedat about I 000 in 1978 (Lane 1979), was seen flying over the island. The nest, built had increasedto at least 2 000. on rocks on the highestpoint of the island,had bcen found on 12 December 1979 (Norman er McHugh lsland a/. 1980). It was substantialand containedthe Visited08:30- 12.00 remains of numerous penguins and some shear- hrs on 28.1I .80. waters; it appearedto have been in use for a LITTLE PENGUIN - gems burrows contained nuntber of years. an adult on eggs or small chicks; eight large SILVER GULL - A colony of 3l nestswas nestlingswere found and banded. situated towards the easternehd of the northern FAIRY PRION - Three adults,each incubar- side. Seven nests were new and 24 contained ing an egg, were caught and banded. Over 50 eggs (9 x one egg, ll x two eggs,4 x three small burrows or cavities around the southern "runner" eggs). One was also found. end were empty. SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER - Twenty- Other Species Seen two adults, l9 incubating iln egg, were caught 1)lack-faced Shag \\'clcome Suall<lu' and banded. Vlzrrsh Harrier Ulackbird lluff-banded Rail Little Grassbird COMMON DIVING-PETREL Two dead So()tv O) stercatcher White-brouedScrubrrrcn nestlings,found on the southern end, were the Pacilic Cir-rll Forest Raven Crcsterl Tern only evidence found of nesting. However, most of the small, empty burrows on the southern end may have belonged to these birds as their Kanowna Island nestingseason could have concluded prior to our Visitedl3:00-l-5.30 hrs on 26.l 1.80. visit. 'flying' LITTLE PENGUIN - One or two adultswere CAPE BARREN GOOSE - Seven birds fclund in some burrows; a few burrows contained were seen; two small 'runners' were causht and an adult on two eg-csand some an adult with banded. snrall chicks. Other Species Seen FAIRY PRION - f's3{h915of thesebirds were Black-faced Shag - 3 Crestcd Tern - c. 100 -- found in or at the entranceto burrowsor cavities S()otl- Oystercatcher J Welcome Ssallou SilverGull - l l]lackbird as though a predator had taken the bird. Almost PaciticCull - lfl Silvereve certainly PacificGulls would have been respon- sible. One adult, found incubatingan egg, was Dannevig lsland capturedand banded. Visitedl3:00-15:00 hrs on 28.11.80. SHORT-TAILED - SHEARWATER S'uylsvr/li LITTLE PENGUIN - One or two adults, and were well distributed among Poa and about 200, adult on eggs or an adult on small chicks were all freshly were activated, examined.A total of found in a few burrows; two large nestlingswere 37 adults, l5 incubatingan egg,was caughtand banded. banded; about 80 per cent of the burrolvs - exanlinedwere empty. FAIRY PRION Qysl 100 small burrows or cavities were found, mainly among Carpobrotus - SILVER GULL Viewed from the sea.about on the eastenl side near the northern end. Most I 00 pairs appeared to be nesting in a colony of these, or the entrances to them, contained near the south-westernend of the island. but one, two or more feathers but no bird. Thirteen lack of time on the island prevented closer others contained an adult incubating an egg; examination. thesewere banded. (It is possiblethat some or PACIFIC GULL Some 150 birds were many of these burrows/cavities may be used by coLrntedfronr one observationpoint during the Common Diving-Petrelsbreeding earlier. On 24 Seotember.1981 S. G. Lane & H. Battam: lslands off Wilsons Promontorv VJ 'adult' November | 978, an was found in a About 120 Australian Fur Sealswere lying on burrow, and on l0 November 1979, four nest- a flat rock at the north of the island. From "starting end lings, all to feather", were found near its appearancethe location looked as though it thc centre of the east coast in similar habitat). was used regularly, possibly for breeding. SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER Ten adults, each incubating an egg, were caught and Shellback Island banded. Visited O7:45-10.45hrs on 27.11.8O. BLACK-FACED SHAG - \ens was seen on LITTLE PENGUIN - gems burrows contained the island during the visit. There was no sign one or two adults, some an adult on eggs and that nesting had occurred recently in the loca- some an adult on small chicks. Two larse nest- tion of the 1979 colony (Lane (1980). lings rvere banded. PACIFIC GULL - No count was made but FAIRY PRION - About 100 burrows or cavi- birds were seen sitting on vantage points along ties were examined.They were located along the the eastern coast. One nest, ready for eggs,was southern side and in the re-entrant on the west- found near the prion colony. ern end. A bird was found in only two of the cavities and Other Species Seen both were unable to be extracted. In most cases,prion feathers were found Soot-v*Oystercatcher Rlackbird about Silver Gull Forcst Raven the entrances and it appeared that there might \\ielcomc Sq allo*' be considerablepredation of these little birds by the Pacific Gulls. The large colony of gulls was Norman Island close by the prion colony. Visited I 2: O0 hrs on 27.I 1.80. SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER - Burrows rvere well LITTLE PENGUIN - Some burrows contained distributed over most of the island wherever one or two adults, some containedan adult with soil depth was sufficient. Nearly all burrows small chicks, but no large nestlingswere seen. seen appeared to have been recently activated. Twenty-nine adults, l3 incubating an FAIRY - PRION One adult, incubating an egg, were caught and banded.

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