14 people joined in this week, a special week focusing on the birdlife of Lord Howe Island.
It was an ideal way to discover and learn about the seabirds as all the summer breeders were back, courting, on eggs or with small chicks. We managed to see the first Black-winged petrels returning for the season.
The weather was calm early in the week, so we all did the Ball’s Pyramid trip which was enjoyed by everyone, particularly seeing flocks of several hundred Grey ternlets feeding on the surface.
This was a very active group and we enjoyed many of the Island walking tracks, exploring the birds and all the other nature on Lord Howe Island.
As well as the resident birds, we saw quite a few of the visiting waders – Whimbrels, Bar-tailed godwits, Ruddy turnstones, Pacific golden plovers plus a few rarer ones passing through, perhaps on the way to New Zealand – Red knot, Pectoral sandpiper and Short-tailed sandpiper.
A couple of rare birds for Lord Howe Island included a Dollar bird at Ned’s Beach and a SIPO- South Island Pied Oystercatcher from New Zealand – at the Mosely Park swamp.
All in all, it was a good week, with excellent weather, great birds and the group enjoyed dining at the various island restaurants.
