After a mammoth flight from Alaska, over a million short tailed shearwaters have arrived home to their breeding grounds on Phillip Island. By Lisa Gilbert
SPRING is such an exciting time in the natural world of birdlife on Phillip Island (Millowl). We farewelled the short-tailed shearwaters in April and now, after spending the last five months around the Bering Sea near Alaska, over a million birds have arrived home to their breeding grounds on the island.
Keep your eyes on the sky at sunset along the coast to see these incredible birds returning home to feed their young after a day’s fishing. Remember to keep to tracks in the dunes so you don’t accidently trample their sand dune burrows.
SPRING is such an exciting time in the natural world of birdlife on Phillip Island (Millowl). We farewelled the short-tailed shearwaters in April and now, after spending the last five months around the Bering Sea near Alaska, over a million birds have arrived home to their breeding grounds on the island.
Keep your eyes on the sky at sunset along the coast to see these incredible birds returning home to feed their young after a day’s fishing. Remember to keep to tracks in the dunes so you don’t accidently trample their sand dune burrows.
Fledgling hooded plover are seeking their own territory. For hooded plovers, it’s the start of the nesting season, when fledglings from last season seek their own territory away from other adults. They can be distinguished from their adult by a head of mottled grey plumage.
Mature birds have formed their mating pairs, with some returning to previous partners and others forming new relationships.
Phillip Island Nature Parks’ conservation team is monitoring around 14 pairs, which will soon choose a territory and begin mating. Each pair will work tirelessly from now on to defend their lot until autumn next year.
This threatened species is vulnerable to the changing tides, due to nesting on the high tide line. Keeping clear of signed and roped nest refuge areas on beaches is one way you can help local birds have a successful nesting season. As always, please walk your dogs on leashes.
Mature birds have formed their mating pairs, with some returning to previous partners and others forming new relationships.
Phillip Island Nature Parks’ conservation team is monitoring around 14 pairs, which will soon choose a territory and begin mating. Each pair will work tirelessly from now on to defend their lot until autumn next year.
This threatened species is vulnerable to the changing tides, due to nesting on the high tide line. Keeping clear of signed and roped nest refuge areas on beaches is one way you can help local birds have a successful nesting season. As always, please walk your dogs on leashes.
 Ibises and spoonbills are nesting at Rhyll. | The bird life on Phillip Island (Millowl) in spring is abundant and you don’t need to look very far. Waterbirds such as ibis, spoonbill, egrets and ducks are nesting in the trees and reeds of the brimming wetlands. Masked Lapwing chicks are emerging and making the run for food on ovals and parks or nestling under parents for warmth. Latham’s Snipe are returning from Japan to feed along the muddy vegetated edges of wetlands and drainage reserves. Young sea eagles are fledging and looking for fish along the coast, often being hassled by ravens and lapwings! |
Male bush stone-curlews are settling in at the Koala Conservation Reserve.
Spring is a great time of year to hear the distinct sounds of the bush stone-curlews at the Koala Conservation Reserve woodlands, where the Nature Parks threatened species team is running a breeding program for this species’ recovery. They have settled in well into their aviaries, are all maintaining healthy weights and displaying natural behaviours such as foraging through mulch and leaf litter for bugs, as well as occasionally catching their own wild mice! Hopefully this will be a common sound on Phillip Island (Millowl) in the future.
The first fairy penguins are hatching. We are starting to see a lot of eggs in the penguin (Guyup) colony, with more being laid every day. These eggs take five weeks to hatch, so by mid-October we can expect to hear the sounds of chicks at the Penguin Parade.
Spring breeding is triggered by an increase in sea surface temperature, that coincides with a peak in ocean productivity. It's been shifting earlier for our penguins as ocean temperatures increase. This year we have seen breeding start about a month earlier than what we would usually expect to see.
An early start to breed usually means a bumper season, as it gives the penguins the opportunity to have two (and sometimes even three) breeding attempts in the one season.
The summer ahead looks to be hot and when it gets too warm, penguins need to travel further and work harder to catch their food. An early start will hopefully mean we see a good result in the first breeding attempts, before the heat of summer hits.
Penguin Parade counts in July were the highest they have been in the past three years – an average of 1490 penguins crossed the Penguin Parade each night in July, almost double the number from the previous two years. This would have been due to the courtship and nest building period of penguins gearing up to lay their eggs.
Wildlife rescue
Phillip Island Nature Parks is working closely with Wildlife Victoria to provide 24/7 rescue, care and rehabilitation services for injured wildlife on the island. If you spot injured wildlife, please call Wildlife Victoria on (03) 8400 7300.
Thanks to Phillip Island Nature Parks for story and photos.
Spring breeding is triggered by an increase in sea surface temperature, that coincides with a peak in ocean productivity. It's been shifting earlier for our penguins as ocean temperatures increase. This year we have seen breeding start about a month earlier than what we would usually expect to see.
An early start to breed usually means a bumper season, as it gives the penguins the opportunity to have two (and sometimes even three) breeding attempts in the one season.
The summer ahead looks to be hot and when it gets too warm, penguins need to travel further and work harder to catch their food. An early start will hopefully mean we see a good result in the first breeding attempts, before the heat of summer hits.
Penguin Parade counts in July were the highest they have been in the past three years – an average of 1490 penguins crossed the Penguin Parade each night in July, almost double the number from the previous two years. This would have been due to the courtship and nest building period of penguins gearing up to lay their eggs.
Wildlife rescue
Phillip Island Nature Parks is working closely with Wildlife Victoria to provide 24/7 rescue, care and rehabilitation services for injured wildlife on the island. If you spot injured wildlife, please call Wildlife Victoria on (03) 8400 7300.
Thanks to Phillip Island Nature Parks for story and photos.