Download Birdwatching on Christmas Island

Birdwatching on Christmas Island In September this year, Ann Christiansen and I travelled to Christmas Island to take part in the annual Christmas Island Bird and Nature Week. Coincidentally, fellow ENHS members Dianne and Stewart Deans also attended. Christmas Island is sometimes referred to as the Galapagos of Australia, and it is not difficult to see why. Frigatebirds, Tropicbirds and three species of Booby constantly wheel overhead as they follow the air currents and search for food in the fertile seas that surround the island. There are about seven Christmas Island Goshawk Photo: M. Anderson species or sub-­‐species of bird that are endemic to Christmas Island, including the Christmas Island Goshawk. There is also a long list of other regular visitors and vagrants. The Abbott’s Booby is critically endangered and nests only on this isolated land-­‐fall in the centre of a huge expanse of ocean. The mining of superphosphate over recent decades has caused the destruction of the forests, which the Abbott’s depend upon as their nesting sites, and there is a concerted program underway to restore the ecosystem now that the mining is being scaled down. Over 65% of the island is now national park. Bird Week is organised around the work of several research scientists, and we were divided into small groups of around six, spending each day with a different scientist who shared his or her knowledge of their specific field of interest. In this way we were able to get really close to the birds in their nests, and watch the scientists at work. In addition to the birds, another outstanding feature of Christmas Island is the array of amazing land crabs. Bird Week is not held during the time of the great crab migration, when literally millions of red crabs migrate across the island after visiting the ocean to spawn. The crabs are motivated to move by the arrival of the wet season, which would not be conducive to bird-­‐watching. But after a short sharp tropical downpour one afternoon during our stay, thousands of the red crabs emerged from their burrows under the leaf litter and began to move around, giving a taste of just how amazing the main event would be. Robber Crabs are enormous creatures, measuring around 40cm in length. They are well named, as they prowl around picnickers, grabbing anything that looks at all edible. Christmas Island Red-­‐footed Booby Photo: M. Anderson The Golden Bosunbird is a sub-­‐species of the White-­‐
tailed Tropicbird, and is found only on Christmas Island. Unlike the White-­‐tailed form, the Golden Bosunbird has a flowing tail which it carries like a streamer. Christmas Island is an ideal holiday destination for anyone who seeks a quiet time filled with enjoyment of what nature has to offer. Don’t look for night life or fabulous surf. Just be prepared to be overwhelmed by the natural beauty and richness of a special piece of Australia’s remote territory. Mandy Anderson Golden Bosunbird Photo: D. Deans