Kimberley Birdwatching’s Inaugural Autumn Ashmore Expedition 26 March to 2 April 2014 – Summary By Mike Carter, Adrian Boyle & George Swann (11 April 2014) Trip Details. The inaugural autumn expedition by Kimberley Birdwatching (KBW) to Ashmore Reef took place from 26 March to 2 April 2014. This followed the success of four research cruises to the area at this season conducted by Monash University. KBW has run 15 cruises to Ashmore in spring since 1996 and the itinerary for this trip was similar; i.e. an eight-day Broome-Ashmore-Lacepedes-Broome expedition organised by George Swann. The birding personnel were Alan Benson, Rob Benson, Darryel Binns (Biggles), Karen Blake, Neil Brown, Rae Clark, Lisa Cockram, Peter Cockram, Chris Hamilton, Rob Hamilton, Ian Halliday, Dick Holroyde, Judy Leitch, Chris Melrose, Sue Taylor & John Weigel. Two researchers from the Monash University Ashmore Monitoring team, Jarrod Hodgson & Rowan Mott were also present. The co-leaders were Adrian Boyle, George Swann & Mike Carter. Two ‘World Travel Destination Collectors’, Roman Bruhwiler from Switzerland & Terry Last from the UK, were also aboard. Our boat/ship was the four-storey high, 35 m long, 12 m wide, MV ‘Reef Prince’; complete with four tenders, skippered by Nick Linton assisted by a crew of five. We sailed from the beach near Gantheaume Point in Broome on 26 March (Day 1) at 09.15 and spent the next two days and nights travelling at sea. We maintained a NW course throughout Day 1 cruising shelf waters up to 80 m deep. That night we changed our heading to NNE and spent most of Day 2 traversing continental shelf waters with depths of 400 to 600 m and as we approached Scott Reef towards nightfall, were in water over 1,000m deep. We stayed in deep water for most of the morning of Day 3 veering more easterly as we approached Ashmore Reef. By 12.30 we were in the lagoon having passed a naval vessel with its complement of customs staff anchored just beyond the entrance channel. For the next three nights (Days 3, 4 & 5), we were secure at the inner mooring (12º14.35’S 122º58.84’E) just off West Island. Most members of the party went ashore on West Island each morning and afternoon of those days. On Day 4, we circumnavigated Middle Island ferried there by our four dinghies but did not land. We also spent some time at the adjacent ‘Horseshoe’ sand bar viewing loafing shorebirds on the high tide. Day 5 we were ashore on East Island for ~1.5 hours at high tide and spent an hour on Splittgerber Cay enthralled by massed shorebirds. After a last visit ashore on West Island, we released our mooring at Ashmore at 09.17 on Day 6 (31 March) and sailed throughout the day on a SSE heading through waters of depths mostly 300-625 m. At 17.35 we changed course to 197º. By dawn on Day 7, we were already over the shelf break on a direct course for the Lacepedes, traversing shelf waters decreasing in depth from 91 m to 26 m. We anchored off West Island, Lacepedes (16º50’S 122º07’E) well after dark. Next morning (2 April), we were ashore on West Island, Lacepedes, from 04.40 to 08.00. Back aboard and tenders stowed, we sailed for Broome, disembarking on the beach where we had boarded 8 days ago (17º58’S 122º11’E) at 16.50. Weather was hot and humid, generally with cloudless skies, nearly constant sunshine and little if any breeze. Sea conditions were generally smooth apart for a few hours on Day 7 when wave height reached 1.0 m. Boat movement was minimal allowing use of tripod mounted telescopes standing on the front deck! Observations 67 species of bird were positively identified: 30 seabirds, 22 shorebirds, 5 waterbirds, 1 raptor and 11 landbirds. In addition, a small Snipe, either Swinhoe’s or Pin-tailed, and a skulking reed-warbler (Acrocephalus spp.) was seen and well photographed on 28 March on West Island, Ashmore. There is a long list of potential reed-warblers that this bird might have been and while several of these can be eliminated and others including Oriental Reed Warbler are unlikely candidates, there is as yet no consensus as to its actual identity. There has been one similar bird seen here previously and future observations may resolve the matter. In the meantime, undoubtedly the greatest highlight of the trip was a YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER that was present and photographed on 29 March. This is only the second time this species has been reported in Australia, and the first was seen only a few metres from the favoured haunt of this bird. For most of the time, whilst at sea a continuous log of position and faunal observations was recorded on ‘Palm pilots’ as well as manually. At-sea highlights included 3 Jouanin’s Petrels, these trips having provided all but one of the 20 previous Australian reports of this enigmatic species, 4 Abbott’s Boobies (more than on any previous trip) and a very confiding Red-necked Phalarope, our third record of this species. Others were Tahiti Petrel (2), Streaked Shearwater (332, our most ever), 280 Hutton’s Shearwaters, and a remarkable 92 Bulwer’s Petrels. On-land seabird highlights at Ashmore Reef included 2 Lesser Noddies and 11 breeding plumaged Roseate Terns. In addition to the at-sea sighting of the Red-necked Phalarope, Shorebird highlights included 8 Asian Dowitchers at a high tide roost on Ashmore. Landbird highlights on West Island, Ashmore, in addition to the two warblers mentioned above, included Oriental Cuckoo (up to 4 daily), Shining Bronze Cuckoo (up to 3 daily), Barn Swallow and an example of a Siberian race of Peregrine Falcon. The occurrence of Shining Bronze Cuckoos here is interesting, as we have never recorded them on their southern passage in spring, only on their northward trek in March/April. The usual local tropical seabirds, Masked, Red-footed & Brown Boobies, Great & Lesser Frigatebirds, Common & Black Noddies, Bridled, Sooty, Great Crested, as well as White-winged Black, Common and Little Terns were seen. The first ten of these were in the early stages of nesting on Middle or/& East Islands, Ashmore. Many were also nesting or about to nest on the Lacepedes. On West Island, Ashmore, there were 19 Red-tailed Tropicbird nests, one White-tailed Tropicbird’s nest and this species was prospecting at Middle & East Islands. Whilst at sea, Cetaceans were much in evidence. We logged 14 pods of Spinner Dolphins totalling over 200 animals, those over shallower shelf waters being Dwarf Spinner Dolphins. We also saw 4 pods of Common Bottle-nosed Dolphins, a pod of 40 Short-finned Pilot Whales, 4 False Killer Whales and a single Sperm Whale. Other Critters including Green Turtles, adults and hatchlings, various sea snakes, Eels, numerous flying fish as well as various other fish including a sailfish that made spectacular leaps apparently attempting to dislodge a sucker fish, a flying squid and rays of various species including a Manta Ray, all added to the experience. Photos of many of the species mentioned above have or will be posted on http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/vagrants (Adrian Boyle) and http://birdsnmore.smugmug.com/Ashmore-Reef (Robert Hamilton) This trip will be repeated next October. Mike Carter 30 Canadian Bay Road Mount Eliza VIC 3930 Tel (03) 9787 7136 _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
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