Mission Beach Cassowaries
  • ABOUT CASSOWARIES
    • Cassowary ID and tracking >
      • Sightings maps
    • World Cassowary Day 2015
  • NEWS
  • Information
    • Developments
    • Thorsborne Trail NOT FOR SALE >
      • MARGARET 'T' AO 1927-2018
    • Walking tracks
    • Birding
    • Lot 66/Garrett Corridor
    • Publications
    • Mission Beach Naturally >
      • Community Identity
    • Heritage
  • Photo Gallery
    • Fauna >
      • Cassowary
      • Birds
      • Mammals
      • Reptiles
    • Flora >
      • Flowers
      • Plants and trees
      • Fungi
    • Scenic
  • Contact
    • Privacy policy

News from Coquette point

3/6/2012

 
Picture
Hello from Coquette Point,

A very wet, windy and cold week has at last broken into sunshine but only very late this afternoon.

This morning I accepted an invitation from Mandubarra elder Nellie Epong to be present at a turtle release at Cowley Beach. Although overcast the day was warm with a gentle wind blowing: a perfect day for a turtle release.
Around 100 people from the Cowley Beach and adjacent communities attended. The turtle, which had been found starving late last year had been a third under normal body weight. She was taken to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre where she was nursed back to health by Dr Jennie Gilbert and helpers. Over the last few months this green sea turtle has been eating up to 65 squid each day and now weighs 145kilos.


Picture
Thanks to Richard Piper, Yvonne Cunningham, Russell Constable and Liz Gallie for the rolling photos below
The Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, which was co-founded by Jennie has released nine turtles back to the Great Barrier Reef so far this year.

Following the turtle release we all enjoyed a feast put on by the ‘Mandubarra clan”. Tree planting as part of a dune restoration programme followed.


We all went home tired and happy: a truly memorable day thank you Mandubarra mob.
Picture

Just as I was leaving Cowley Beach we saw two pelicans. The first pelicans I have seen on the coast in over two years.

The Cassowary Dad 1’s two chicks are growing up and are starting to get their colours. I recently took photos of them and put together their progress and interactions with the Coquet Point Community over the last year and half.

Picture
Photo taken by Bill Farnsworth 20.11.10
Picture
I took this photo the morning after cyclone Yasi as they were running for shelter.
Picture
Thats not a dog its a wild pig. 17.4.11
Picture
Walking the road verge 30.12.11
Picture
29.11.11
Picture
On their own 12.3.12 Chick 1
Picture
On their own 12.3.12 Chick 2
Picture
Dad's first chick
Picture
Dad's second chick

Note the different wattle shapes and neck colouring.

Walking in the mangroves this week I found yet another jumping spider. Over the last two years at Coquette Point I have photographed 14 different species of these amazing spiders.
Picture
The little sunbird has hatched two chicks from three eggs. It has been a remarkable timetable for her. Nest built in one week; sitting commenced immediately, chicks hatched two weeks later!  Dad has been singing his heart out all day long bragging about the birth of his babies.
Picture
Picture

A Yellow oriole flew into the nursery on Friday and spent the afternoon annoying the drongos and making a lot of noise until it settled down in a quandong tree in the rainforest.

I received an email out of the blew this week giving me news of ‘Crewcut’. In 1963 I sailed to New Guinea on a little sailing boat called ‘Crewcut’ with a young fella called Dennis Lobb.
Picture
Picture
Picture
The boat now has new owners and undergone a complete refit it is  back in the water in Tauranga, New Zealand and is as good as new. The new owners Noel and Natalie plan to cruise with her. Never know, she may venture up this way again. Look for a 23foot cutter with a baber-pole mast. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
The new sewerage farm was seeded this week and I believe should be commissioned next week.  This will have a huge impact on the water quality of the Johnstone River.

However the cost of running this unit will be considerable. The old farm worked on gravity feed for most of its delivery whereas, the new farm will incur an annual electricity bill in the millions of dollars.

Cheers for now,

Yvonne C.
 Yvonne has computer problems!

Thanks to Russell Constable for coming to the rescue and sending through Yvonnes update and photos of the turtle release event with the frollowing note.....

"I would also like to thank Yvonne for generously donating native trees/plants including some beautiful Calophyllum trees that were planted at Cowley Beach after the turtle release today.  Ruth Lipscombe also deserves special thanks for her continued strong support for Mandubarra coastal conservation activities. Thank you both so much for generously sharing your talents with all of us and for bringing cake and cookies to Cowley Beach today too"! RC

 
Ian and Lois
4/6/2012 12:11:27 am

The changing face of World Heritage Rainforest

Great to read your Coquette News over an early morning cuppa, having just returned predawn from taking a run in the gator to scatter any of the dingoes down near our duck coop...the howling through the night has been unbelievable....there must surely be a dozen dogs at least in the current pack. The normal nightly sounds of the scrub hens and curlews have recently been replaced with loud howling, and unfortunately the normal daily sounds of
whip birds and many other species have been overshadowed by the raucas screetches of sulphur crested cockatoos which have been hell-bent on de-seeding every possible fruit on our navel oranges, mandarines, tangelos, pommelos, joppa oranges (but they do leave the grapefruit alone!).

We are yet to hear the squeeling of pigs from the forest during the day, but no doubt that will return once the dingoes have moved on.

It is a rare event these days to enjoy a morning chorus of birds from the forest as used to be the case prior to cyclone Larry...the numbers and range of species are simply not there. It has been great though of late to see flocks of several species of migrating pigeons again shadowing the forest canopy heading towards the heavily forested areas further up the Palmerston.

Thanks again for your weekly news....much enjoyed here and by our grandkids in Mackay who are keen 'next generation Harry Butlers'.
Regards
Ian and Lois

Denis Wilson link
4/6/2012 06:09:22 am

Great to see the release of the Turtle.

Patrick W Medway AM link
4/6/2012 10:38:25 am

Congratulations to Jenny Gilbert and her band of helpers in saving another sea turtle. Keep up the good work and continue to save our native wildlife for the next generation of young Australians


Comments are closed.
    Mission Beach Cassowaries facebook page
    Follow the lives of individual cassowaries on facebook

    Picture
    Friends of Ninney Rise
    Ninney Rise
    - the inspiring
     conservation history of Mission Beach

    Lot 66
    a Mission Beach buyback success story
     


    Picture
    Russell Constable's blog is packed full of information about Ella Bay and region

    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    November 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011

    Categories

    All
    Ash
    Birds
    Boat Bay
    Bush Tucker
    Butterflies
    Cassowaries
    Cassowary Coast
    Cca
    Coquette Point
    Cowley Beach
    Crocodiles
    Cyclones
    Cyclone Yasi
    Development
    Flowers
    Flying Foxes
    Frogs
    Fungi
    Insects
    Johnstone River
    Little Terns Nesting
    Mahogany Glider
    Mangrove Dieback
    Marine
    Mission Beach
    Port Hinchinbrook
    Rainforest Fruit
    Sediment Runnoff
    Snakes
    Spiders
    Threats
    Tourism
    Tully Heads
    Turtles
    Wildwatch
    W P S Q Tully Branch


© All content on this website (except where otherwise stated) is copyright Mission Beach Cassowaries All Rights Reserved If copying or publishing  content or information from this site please credit and link to Mission Beach Cassowaries Inc. website Except where otherwise credited, all photos on this website are copyright and must have permission to reproduce