Managing a website can be time consuming and I seem to have very little of it spare lately. Yvonne's weekly diary updates from Coquette Point are an invaluable record of a wide range of topics so rather than miss any I have posted the last five weeks. Enjoy the catch up.......... Liz
Hi all,
The humidity ramped up to 96% this week and although the temp is still in the low 30’s it feels much hotter. Good rain in the hinterland has sent a flush down all the rivers and the Tully had a flood warning on Tuesday.
The first of this season’s king-tides occurred on Friday. The tides went from .15m at 2am Friday to a 3.16 at 9am. A good ‘enema’ for the rivers.
My Brisbane- twitcher- friend Louis arrived on Thursday so we took advantage of the .89 tide on Thursday afternoon and walked to the long beach. We heard a trail bike on the beach and were apprehensive as to the outcome.
We saw bike tracks across cassowary footprints but no cassowary. Then we saw the rider, he was bogged just before the sand spit-rookery. Louis and I were debating how best to approach the lad and ask him not to ride on the spit- in as polite a way as we could. He got out of the bog and took off in the opposite direction only to get bogged again. With that he gave up and left. One of us said “ I hope he got salt in his bike and it rusts”. The outcome could have been tragic for the birds nesting on the spit.
The humidity ramped up to 96% this week and although the temp is still in the low 30’s it feels much hotter. Good rain in the hinterland has sent a flush down all the rivers and the Tully had a flood warning on Tuesday.
The first of this season’s king-tides occurred on Friday. The tides went from .15m at 2am Friday to a 3.16 at 9am. A good ‘enema’ for the rivers.
My Brisbane- twitcher- friend Louis arrived on Thursday so we took advantage of the .89 tide on Thursday afternoon and walked to the long beach. We heard a trail bike on the beach and were apprehensive as to the outcome.
We saw bike tracks across cassowary footprints but no cassowary. Then we saw the rider, he was bogged just before the sand spit-rookery. Louis and I were debating how best to approach the lad and ask him not to ride on the spit- in as polite a way as we could. He got out of the bog and took off in the opposite direction only to get bogged again. With that he gave up and left. One of us said “ I hope he got salt in his bike and it rusts”. The outcome could have been tragic for the birds nesting on the spit.
As we approached the spit there was no sign of birds. Frightened off by the noise of the bike perhaps. We kept low to the water then about halfway across we saw two little terns and then a third one. We were so thrilled. On our return we saw the birds lift off from the sand-spit and we assume they are starting to nest. I wasn’t very successful in getting a photo of the terns. However, I managed one in this out of focus shot above. That’s Flying Fish Point in the background.
Russell rang me Friday and apparently he saw Louis and I walking, he was at Flying Fish Point. Anyway, he was down at Cowley with Richard this week and they saw two pairs of little terns at Cowley.
The soldier crabs were not above ground, however their feeding mound residues covered the beach.
On the outer-most sandbar we found about 100 crested terns in full breeding plumage. Their crests stood up like crew-cuts. No other waders were with them. On another sandbar there were more crested terns. As we turned to head back the racing tide covered the tern’s sandbar and they flew into the beach at the very corner where a little fresh water spring comes out from the mountain. I do not know if they are nesting. It was almost four o’clock when we headed for home.
The soldier crabs were not above ground, however their feeding mound residues covered the beach.
On the outer-most sandbar we found about 100 crested terns in full breeding plumage. Their crests stood up like crew-cuts. No other waders were with them. On another sandbar there were more crested terns. As we turned to head back the racing tide covered the tern’s sandbar and they flew into the beach at the very corner where a little fresh water spring comes out from the mountain. I do not know if they are nesting. It was almost four o’clock when we headed for home.
Red capped dotterels, in breeding plumage, were feeding hungrily in the sand. They followed us and the incoming tide as we came back and we saw several leave the rookery site together with the terns as we walked past. We assume they are nesting.
We stopped a little way past the sand spit rookery and saw small crabs active everywhere. Above us on the sand spit two crabs were preoccupied in a courtship dance.
We stopped a little way past the sand spit rookery and saw small crabs active everywhere. Above us on the sand spit two crabs were preoccupied in a courtship dance.
Other little crabs were skittering across the sand in front of us as we walked then they disappeared quickly into holes as they felt the vibrations of our footsteps.
The beach is an amazing place and the sand is home to countless creatures. (Great reading about beach critters on Russell Constable's blog)
The beach is an amazing place and the sand is home to countless creatures. (Great reading about beach critters on Russell Constable's blog)
Ahead of us we saw a sandpiper feeding at the water’s edge. A tiny red necked stint came darting along the beach and walked right up to the sandpiper. We only saw one red necked stint. This tiny bird is a migrant and travels all the way to Siberia to breed. Somehow he has been separated from the rest of his colony. Lest hope he stays safe. There were more sandpipers around on the front beach together with whimbrels and little curlews.
The Wax Jambu has been in fruit all week and ‘ Dad 1’ and his twelve month old chick ‘ Rosie’ have turned up to live under the tree. These cassowaries seldom visit this end of the Point, but somehow they knew the tree was in fruit. When ‘Jessie’ turns up and by intimidation alone – she stands tall looks at him and slowly moves to the tree- he and the chick move away and Jessie eats until she is satisfied. ‘Dad 1’ then moves back to occupy the tree. What is interesting is that when any of the other cassowaries approach the tree, ‘Don’, ‘Q’ or ‘Big sis’ it is the chick ‘Rosie’ that chases them
Dad 1 and chick ‘Rosie’ - ‘Jessie’ stands tall.
Although this tree is a hybrid, Syzygium aquem, it has no seed, so there is no chance of it being spread in the rainforest. The tree is very deep rooted and strong, and the fruit is delicious. In the Philippines it is particularly favoured and can be found in the markets everywhere. The fruit is crisp like an apple and has a slight cinnamon flavour. The fruiting should last for another week.
When I arrived home late Friday I heard a noisy in the mangroves behind the car shed. It was ‘Big Sis’ ripping fungi off a log. The camera would not focus into the dark of the mangroves and I could not get a photo of her eating. However she had large pieces of the fungi in her beak and appeared to be enjoying it. She moved away when I tried to get a photo. When she was gone I took a photo of the fungi. It’s a white bracket fungi of some type.
I will finish off with some bad news from East Innisfail. I received an email this week from Pam Birchely, the two year old sub adult cassowary that has been visiting her yard for the last seven months, since Yasi, was killed by a pack of dogs this week. Pam backs onto the Ninds Creek wetlands and apparently lads, with pig dogs running free, hunt the area regularly. DERM have been notified. Pam sent me a photo of the cassowary.
I will finish off with some bad news from East Innisfail. I received an email this week from Pam Birchely, the two year old sub adult cassowary that has been visiting her yard for the last seven months, since Yasi, was killed by a pack of dogs this week. Pam backs onto the Ninds Creek wetlands and apparently lads, with pig dogs running free, hunt the area regularly. DERM have been notified. Pam sent me a photo of the cassowary.
Cheers for now,
Yvonne C.
Yvonne C.
