BIODIVERSITY - FAUNA Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 73 Yellow-throated honeyeater (Lichenostomus flavicollis). Illustrations Brett Littleton. Clare E. Hawkins, that was confirmed as cat hair (for Philips) and suspected as Nick Mooney, cat hair (for Cat). A sea eagle’s Natasha Wilson and nest was found on Philips Island. Briar Hill It is recommended that cat eradication is considered, and that disturbance on Philips Island Summary is avoided during eagle breeding species season (July to February). Fauna surveys were carried out if they were closer to the coast across 8 islands in Macquarie or larger in area (MacArthur & Harbour in December 2009: Introduction Wilson 1967). Nonetheless it Bonnet, Cat, Elizabeth, Entrance, remained possible that one or Prior to the survey described Magazine, Neck, Philips and more islands might host relict in this report, very limited data Soldiers Islands. Of one hundred populations of species which had were available on the fauna of the and sixty fauna taxa identified been lost from the nearby coast. Macquarie Harbour islands, apart by the survey, one hundred and Cat, Magazine and Neck Islands, from those available from two thirty-two (primarily invertebrate) since they had similar geology and reports for Sarah Island (Phillips taxa had not been previously were close neighbours, would be 1992; Mallick 2000). Almost all recorded. These included forty- expected to show a great deal of data were confined to the birds nine taxa identified to the level overlap in species compositions. of the area. of known species and thirty- Philips and Soldiers were also expected to host similar species three taxa identified as distinct Natural Values Atlas data on due to their similar geology, while morphospecies, while the rest fauna on the islands were almost the same assumption held for were identified less precisely. exclusively confined to a bird list Bonnet, Elizabeth and Sarah Island. A species of the isopod genus for the Harbour (Table 2), with However, the level of disturbance Notoniscus appeared to be new no precise location provided for would be expected also to affect to science, though this could the majority of the records. The species number and composition. not be confirmed at the time of exception to this was for Sarah writing. Numerous bird species Island, where two studies (Phillips had previously been recorded 1992; Mallick 2000) provide bird Methods in ‘Macquarie Harbour’, but the records specifically for this island. survey provided more specific While some fauna groups, such locations for many of these It was therefore timely to survey as birds, can easily be identified species. The findings particularly the fauna of the other large from calls and sightings during a extended the known distribution islands in the Harbour, to guide simple traverse of a survey area, of two invertebrates: the land snail their management by the Parks & others, such as many mammal Stenacapha vitrinaformis and the Wildlife Service. species, are difficult to identify weevil Mandalotus subterraneus. to species level without trapping. A few exotic species were It was expected that islands would Within the available time (9th - identified: most significantly, host a subset of the species 11th December 2009), and given hair tubes laid on Philips Island as found on the nearby coast, the unreliable weather conditions, and Cat Island collected hair hosting a greater number of trapping was not possible since each island could not be visited 74 Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 for trap-checking each day. Island traverses, hand islands and approximately four Instead, other techniques were collection, direct hours in the case of the larger used which required only a single observation, call surveys, islands. A second opportunistic return visit. Eight islands were field signs traverse was possible for Neck surveyed, of which four were Island. During these traverses visited twice (Table 1). Additionally, During the first visit to each of (and where possible on the Sarah Island was visited for a the eight islands, four people four islands re-visited to collect geological survey, and some fauna walked independently across equipment), all fauna species data were provided from this. it for approximately one hour observed were recorded, along in the case of the smallest with all identifiable bird calls and mammalian field signs. Small numbers of each species of invertebrate observed which could not be immediately identified were collected by hand and stored in alcohol for subsequent identification by specialists. Hair-tubes, camera traps, pitfall traps For the four islands which were to be re-visited, various arrangements of hair tubes, camera traps and pitfall traps were placed. Hair-tubes were made of polypropylene tubes, 90 mm in diameter and 400 mm in length, with stiff plastic netting, containing peanut butter mixed with oats, Hair-tube in place, Elizabeth Island. A peanut butter bait is placed within netting in the centre of the tube. Three strips of double-sided sticky tape are evenly spaced around the inside of the tube, oriented from each end towards the centre, to catch hairs of visiting mammals. Photo Clare Hawkins Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 75 wired into the centre of each. At disposable plastic food container were identified by Kevin Bonham both ends of each hair tube, lid supported by wooden skewer (molluscs and collembolans), three strips of double-sided sticky pieces placed above each cup to Lynne Forster (spiders and gaffer tape were placed at 60° limit falling vegetation and rain beetles) and Alastair Richardson angles to one another, to catch entering the trap. Invertebrates (amphipods and isopods). the hair of visiting mammals. Hairs collected by hand or pitfall trap subsequently collected were identified by expert consultant Barbara Triggs. These were scattered widely across Elizabeth and Soldiers Islands, and a small number were also put in areas where rodent signs (digging and scats) were observed on Cat and Magazine Islands. A small number of video camera traps were set across Philips Island, and also on Soldiers Island and Magazine Island where signs of rodent digging were observed. A bait of walnut oil mixed with water in which mushrooms had been soaked was dribbled in a position in front of each camera such that visiting animals would trigger filming. Michael Driessen assisted with identifying filmed mammals. Pitfall traps were scattered widely across Soldiers Island, and small numbers were also placed in areas of Cat and Magazine Islands. Each trap comprised a disposable plastic drinking cup half filled with alcohol, with a little Top: Signs of rodent digging on Cat Island. Bottom: Successful hair-tube. Photos Clare Hawkins 76 Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 The various traps and hair-tubes made available to the Tasmanian would be reported for recording were left on each island for 2-3 Museum and Art Gallery in on the Natural Values Atlas. days. Hobart and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Results After identification for the Launceston, with the request purposes of this report, all that any samples subsequently The results of the fauna survey invertebrate samples were identified to species level are presented in Table 2. One hundred and sixty fauna taxa were identified during the survey, of which one hundred and thirty-two had not been previously recorded in Macquarie Harbour in the Natural Values Atlas, Phillips (1992) or Mallick (2000) (Table 2). Forty-nine of these newly recorded taxa were identified with confidence to species level, with thirty-three additional taxa identified as separate morphospecies. The rest were identified less precisely. One hundred and fifteen taxa were invertebrates, including 32 spiders, 19 beetles and 14 gastropods identified to species level as well as 14 collembolans identified at least to genus level. Top: Pitfall trap in place: a plastic cup half filled with ethanol, protected from the rain by a lid suspended with cocktail sticks. Bottom: Setting up a video camera trap. Walnut oil and mushroom- soaked water is dribbled on the ground one to two metres in front of the camera, such that movement in that area will trigger the video camera to start operating for one minute. Photos Clare Hawkins Hamish Saunders Memorial Island Survey Program 2009 77 Scarlet Robin (Petroica multicolor). Illustration Brett Littleton. Isopod specimens of the genus Eighteen spider morphospecies with many being common and Notoniscus found on three of were named during the survey by widespread across Tasmania. the islands were exceptionally Lynne Forster. Morphospecies are Similarly, most of the named large and also likely to be a new taxa which are morphologically spider species are not only species. However no Australian distinct from currently known widespread in Tasmania, but taxonomist is currently working species; they may therefore also found on the mainland on onoscideans, and those constitute separate species, eg Novodamus nodatus and elsewhere in the world were but await formal description to Prostheclina amplior. Even the currently unavailable to examine confirm this. However, none endemics (Ommatauxesis the specimens. of these were newly identified, macrops, Stanwellia pexa) have a Table 1. Dates on which each island was visited (bold = main visit) Maximum Position in Island Size (Ha) elevation Geology Date Method harbour m (ASL) Bedrock Meta- Bonnet 0.17 10 Entrance 10 Dec 2009 Traverse