Hi Chris, I’m sure that you probably know everything there is is to know about what birds there are to see on Lord Howe Island and where to see them etc but I thought a couple of points might be helpful to enjoy your time a bit more. The first is if you are planning a trip out to Ball’s Pyramid CONTACT JACK SHICK AND MAKE KNOWN THAT YOU WILL GO OUT ON ANY OF HIS TRIPS 02 6563 2218. I emphasis this because I missed out on going there last time and if I am lucky enough to go to LHI again I would be phoning Jack before leaving home and then when on the island phoning him again. I spent a lot of time and energy trying to get out to Ball’s Pyramid. It is no sure thing to get out there as although it may be calm at LHI the sea may be to rough. Jack was friendly with the people staying in the next unit who were staying for several weeks and I just missed catching up with him on our first day on the island. On the last day, he was visiting gain and when I mentioned missing out on getting to Ball’s Pyramid he said: “If I’d known, you could have come out on the fishing trip yesterday. It was a bit rough and I tried out my new camera.” I believe I had spoken to someone at his house, but not Jack and so I would suggest that you try to speak to him personally. The second point is that in late February it can be quite hot and humid and when you climb up Malabar Hill to see the Red-tailed Tropicbirds that soar out over the cliffs, make sure you have plenty of water. Deb and I climbed up there in the early afternoon and with the humidity (we were there in late Feb) we sweated profusely and we very parched. On a lighter note the birding is quite magical because the birds are so unafraid of humans and you can get up really close. On the way up to Malabar Hill on the track that goes off the road to Ned’s Beach, Common (Brown) Noddy were nesting very close to the track and were not bothered in the least by people. Also the White Terns nest in the trees above the main road and in February the little chicks sit on the branches. It is amazing to see ladders by the side of the road put there so that if the chicks fall down, locals will place them back up (It is saddening to think that some locals want to remove the trees). The White Terns are a sight to behold with such a pure white body and coal black eyes and bill. In the book , 100 Birds To See Before You Die, they are called Angel Tern, and seeing them this description seems apt. The track to Mutton Bird Point, starts just near the airport turnoff and takes about half an hour to walk to the viewing platform. This is where you see the Masked Booby. I have had it on good authority that it is possible to scramble out onto the island. It is a real buzz to watch the kamakazi like Flesh-footed Shearwaters come in at dusk at Ned’s Beach. One almost collided with me. The Wedge-tailed Shearwaters come in at late dusk to Windy Point, which is a roughly Parallel to where the airstrip reaches the sea on the main road. At night they make a ghostly wailing. It was here in 2010 that Deb and I saw a very large Masked Owl on a small clay cliff on the LHS in the airport direction about 10 pm. If you are into a little snorkeling, in our opinion the best place to go is Old Settlement Beach, which is a little further round past the Public Jetty in the direction of North Bay. We swam with Green turtles and out in the bay a buoy has been kindly placed above the coral. It is easy to paddle out there. Neither of us are great swimmers. We found the best coffee to be in the museum cafe, which is the same place that Ian Hutton hangs out at. We saw Emerald Doves in the bush opposite the cafe, museum. Best wishes for a happy holiday, Patrick Scully
On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 8:40 PM, Chris Sanderson
> Thanks Patrick, I appreciate the advice! I’m really excited about going > now, we’ve booked for mid-Feb, which sounds like it’s great for most things, > though I may miss Providence Petrels and Little Shearwaters. > > Cheers, > Chris > > > On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 8:27 PM, Patrick Scully
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