Green Cape NSW

Our two cottages at Green Cape

View north from the old lighthouse balcony

Cottage #1 and Cottage #2 by Julian Robinson
He writes:We stayed in these two semi-detached cottages. Here you see the enthusiasts surveying the ocean just in front, possibly some of the easiest birding possible. Eat... look at the birds flying past in a continuous stream ... drink ... look again ... chat ....look again ... eat..

Visit 8 -12 October 2007

Green Cape juts out into the Tasman Sea at the extreme south-eastern corner of mainland Australia. It is just north of the border between the states of NSW and Victoria. Previous reports on visits to Green Cape can be found on earlier blog postings [June 2004; October 2005 and June 2006].

This was a Canberra Ornithologists Group organized field trip with both cottages occupied from Monday afternoon to Friday morning. The party consisted of Rosemary Bell, Peter Fullagar, Mike Grigg, Barry Gorman, Roy Harvey, Tobias Hayashi, Julienne Kampard, Susan Lashko, Cassandra Morrow, Julian Robinson, Barbara and Eric Pilcher.

Sea surface temperatures around Australia during the week before our visit

Weather conditions were good all week. On Monday the wind was light and southerly strengthening on Tuesday but turning north-east on Wednesday after a calm morning and again strengthened during that day up to 35 knots or more. It continued windy on Thursday with a return to a southerly direction early on Friday after some light rain squalls at dawn. The days were bright and sunny. We walked from Bittangabee to the Cape on Wednesday morning but concentrated mostly on sea watching at Green Cape. The heaths were dry with the Melaleuca notably in flower but little else was blooming spectacularly and consequently few heath birds were evident despite our walk being in relatively calm conditions when calls should have been easy to detect. However, we observed a good range of species in the earlier forested section of our walk from Bittangabee. Concerted efforts on the heaths, by some members of our party, did yield sightings of some of the expected species but they were certainly difficult to find. Tobias Hayashi camped at Bittangabee and joined us each day. He walked to the Cape on 7th and walked the lighthouse to lighthouse track on 8th. Mike Grigg also walked the Bittangabee to Cape track on the 9th. Most memorable incident. Tobias running back from the Cape to let the rest of us know that he also had identified the Southern Fulmar flying past him!

A view near Pulpit Rock

Taking a rest during the walk from Bittangabee to the Cape

Barbara and Julienne by Julian Robinson
Captioned: Bubble bubble toil and trouble. Definitely hatching something...

Barry, Cassandra and Roy
Photo by Julian Robinson

The survey area
Green Cape and the adjoining heathlands constitute the main observation area. This area extends to as far north as the forest edge beyond the Pulpit Rock trail, the track down to City Rock and the forest walk along the track from Bittangabee. Green Cape juts out almost SE. To the south-west is Disaster Bay and the coastline northwards from the point runs roughly NNW. To seawards our observations include the area to the limits of visibility which from the tip of the Cape (the point) involves about 320˚ of arc.

Tobias and Susan observing from the lamp room at the top of the lighthouse

Barbara, Cassandra and Peter descending the spiral staircase in the tower
Photo by Julian Robinson

Lens refractions

Observations on birds and mammals
Generally we watched from the cottage verandas and the lighthouse area including occasionally from the point and from the rock shelf to the east and below the point.

Birds seen this week

BLACK SWAN Cygnus atrata
Two parties of 3 and 19 passed southwards on the 9th.

LITTLE PENGUIN Eudyptula minor
Heard occasionally at sea on 10th and 11th and seen once close inshore beyond the rockshelf below the Cottages.

GIANT PETREL Macronectes sp.
Seen each day with a maximum of two and probably the same few birds circulating the area. All were juvenile plumaged individuals and most likely all were Northern Giant Petrel M. halli.

SOUTHERN FULMAR Fulmarus glacialoides
One heading north amongst Short-Tailed Shearwaters on 11th.

CAPE PETREL Daption capense
One on the 10th and three on the 11th amongst the hordes of Short-tailed Shearwaters.

WEDGE-TAILED SHEARWATER Puffinus pacificus
Very few seen amongst the masses of Short-tailed Shearwaters with at least two seen on the 11th.

A very small part of the massed gatherings of shearwaters, mostly Short-tailed Shearwater, off Green Cape seen during this trip

More images of Short-tailed Shearwaters feeding close to Green Cape

SHORT-TAILED SHEARWATER Puffinus tenuirostris
Feeding frenzies present every day off the Cape. Groups up to 5,000 or more together frantically feeding at the surface or by shallow diving. Total numbers in the range 30 000- 50 000 birds in 5 to 10 groups most of the time. Gatherings drifted to and fro offshore and on some occasions passing the rocks at less than 50 metres. Sometimes birds loafed in widespread flocks. Southwards passage of birds was not particularly evident and it seemed that the birds were taking advantage of abundant local food.

FLUTTERING SHEARWATER Puffinus gavia
A few on 10th and more on 11th with upwards of 100 amongst the Short-tailed Shearwaters throughout that day.

HUTTON’S SHEARWATER Puffinus huttoni
Of the black and white shearwaters seen on the 11th several of this species were identified and 2 were confirmed as being Hutton’s Shearwaters against 21 that were Fluttering Shearwaters during one careful count.

BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS Thalassarche malanophrys
A few seen on 9th and 11th. All were sub-adults and no more than three were seen on either day. Identification of Campbell Albatross T. impavida was not possible.

Shy Albatrosses by Julian Robinson.
He writes: I love how albatrosses fly with one wing tip on the water a lot of the time, it's spectacularly controlled and always no more than a couple of cm in or out of the water.

SHY ALBATROSS Thalassarche cauta subsp.
One seen on 8th but numbers increased throughout the day on the 9th with more than 500 visible by nightfall. They were evident in similar large numbers early on the 10th but declined with the advent of northerly winds such that few were seen on the morning of the 12th.
The Tasmanian Shy Albatross Thalassarche c. cauta and the Auckland [Island] Shy Albatross Thalassarche c. steadi are not reliably separable in the field but both undoubtedly occur in the waters off Green Cape.

YELLOW-NOSED ALBATROSS Thalassarche chlororhynchos
One seen on the 8th. Two subspecies occur which are identifiable in the field. Western Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche c. chlororhynchos and Eastern Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche c. bassi. The bird seen was taken to be of the latter subspecies.

Australasian Gannet by Julian Robinson
He writes: Although common, I think Gannets were my favourite of the sea birds.

AUSTRALASIAN GANNET Morus serrator
Seen every day and often in numbers up to several hundred. Some counts suggested that immature birds constituted about 35% of those seen. Large gatherings loafing on the water in Disaster Bay in the later afternoon on the 10th. Passage not evident and birds seemed to be concentrating about the Cape during the week.

LITTLE PIED CORMORANT Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
One seen on 10th.

BLACK-FACED CORMORANT Phalacrocorax fuscescens
One seen flying north on 8th and another on the 11th also going north.

GREAT CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo
A few seen at the Cape each day.

WHITE-BELLIED SEA-EAGLE Haliaeetus leucogaster
At least three individuals seen. An adult with a near adult seen together at times and a third that was judged to be a first year bird. On several occasions birds flew out to sea and seemed to maraud the shearwaters but the only prey taken was surface caught fish which was not identified.

SWAMP HARRIER Circus approximans
One bird flew south from the Cape early morning on 10th.

GREY GOSHAWK Accipiter novaehollandiae
One seen during a light to light walk on 8th [Tobias Hayashi].

RUDDY TURNSTONE Arenaria interpres
Two birds on rocks at the Cape on 9th.

PIED OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus longirostris
Three seen on rocks west of Lighthouse on 11th.

SOOTY OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus fuliginosa
Up to four seen most days.

BROWN SKUA Catharacta lonnbergi
One seen sitting on the water at mid day on the 11th and then going south.

POMARINE JAEGER Stercorarius pomarinus
One flew close over the Cape early morning on 12th.

ARCTIC JAEGER Stercorarius parasiticus
Three together, with one of them a pale phase bird, heading south low to the water on the 8th followed by another pale phase bird sometime later. Another pale phase bird seen heading south, again low to the water, on the 11th.

PACIFIC GULL Larus pacificus
Two birds seen off the Cape early morning on the 10th.

SILVER GULL Larus novaehollandiae
Very few seen at sea each day.

CRESTED TERN Sterna bergii
Present in the area all week with up to 30 birds seen passing back and forth each day at the Cape.

CASPIAN TERN Sterna caspia
Up to five birds seen in the area each day.

Male Brush Bronzewing by Julian Robinson

BRUSH BRONZEWING Phaps elegans
Two birds, a male and female, seen regularly near the car park and occasionally a bird flushed from the heath.

WONGA PIGEON Leucosarcia melanoleuca
One at Bittangabee most days [Tobias Hayashi].

The work of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

YELLOW-TAILED BLACK-COCKATOO Calyptorhynchus funereus
Four seen in the forested are near Bittangabee on the 10th.

GALAH Cacatua roseicapilla
Three seen on 9th circling the Cape, 29 doing the same on 10th and three at the Cape again on the 11th. All of these observations were shortly after dawn.

RAINBOW LORIKEET Trichoglossus haematodus
Two seen on 10th at Bittangabee and again recorded on 11th.

AUSTRALIAN KING PARROT Alisterus scapularis
Two seen at Bittangabee [Tobais Hayashi]

CRIMSON ROSELLA Platycercus elegans
Two seen on the 8th.

HORSFIELD’S BRONZE-CUCKOO Chrysococcyx basalis
One heard on the 10th on the walk from Bittangabee and two seen during the week near the cottages.

SHINING BRONZE-CUCKOO Chrysococcyx lucidus
Two seen on 8th and one seen on 9th.

SUPERB LYREBIRD Menura novaehollandiae
Seen or heard at Bittangabee most days.

SUPERB FAIRY-WREN Malurus cyaneus
Seen each day near the Cottages.

SOUTHERN EMU-WREN Stipiturus malachurus
Inconspicuous, but some seen. Found on the heaths on 9th and again, after much searching, on the heaths alongside the track to Pulpit Rock on 11th.

STRIATED PARDALOTE Pardalotus striatus
One seen near lighthouse on 11th.

WHITE-BROWED SCRUBWREN Sericornis frontalis
A few seen most days.

Striated Fieldwren by Julian Robinson
He writes:Possibly my biggest break of the week was a concert by this shy little bird. Very retiring normally, this pair spent 20 minutes posing and singing to me. I guess I was too close to a nest and they were attempting to distract me. The colours are strange on this bird, a kind of unlikely lime-lemon green but that's how it was, despite what my guides show.

STRIATED FIELDWREN Calamanthus fuliginosus
Inconspicuous but seen on heaths on 10th and after much searching on 11th near the area where Southern Emu-wrens were found.

BROWN GERYGONE Gerygone mouki
A few seen at Bittangabee [Tobias Hayashi]

STRIATED THORNBILL Acanthiza striatus
Often seen in forests at Bittangabee, including two during the walk on 10th.

BROWN THORNBILL Acanthiza pusilla
A few seen or heard most days.

RED WATTLEBIRD Anthochaera carunculata
Occasionally seen and heard.

LITTLE WATTLEBIRD Anthochaera chrysoptera
Recorded each day. Often present in the large Coast Banksia Banksia integrifolia close to the entrance gate. Not particularly numerous but widespread along coast.

NOISY FRIARBIRD Philemon corniculatus
One reported about 1km along the track to the Cape on 7th [Tobias Hayashi].

LEWIN'S HONEYEATER Meliphaga lewinii
Seen once at Bittangabee [Tobias Hayashi].

YELLOW-FACED HONEYEATER Lichenostomus chrysops
Recorded most days in small numbers.

WHITE-NAPED HONEYEATER Melithreptus lunatus
Seen in small numbers in forests during the walk from Bittangabee on 10th.

BROWN-HEADED HONEYEATER Melithreptus brevirostris
Two seen in forests on walk from Bittangabee on 10th.

NEW HOLLAND HONEYEATER Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Very few seen on the heaths and not particularly vocal.

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater by Julian Robinson
He write:Another first for me, an attractive bird that frequents the headland now that things are flowering. Some had marked "tawny" crowns but this and others not really noticeable. This one has a facefull of pollen!

TAWNY-CROWNED HONEYEATER Phylidonyris melanops
Widespread on heathlands and seen at the Cape each day but not particularly abundant. Some song heard.

EASTERN SPINEBILL Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
A few heard in the forested areas on the walk on the 10th but not particularly conspicuous.

ROSE ROBIN Petroica rosea
Pair seen in forest on a walk from Bittangabee on 9th and seen twice on 10th north of Bittangabee.

EASTERN YELLOW ROBIN Eopsaltria australis
Individuals occasionally heard each day and particularly in area of the Melaleuca scrub surrounding the SS Ly-ee-moon cemetery. Also found in forests between Bittangabee and the Cape.

Eastern Whipbird by Julian Robinson

EASTERN WHIPBIRD Psephodes olivaceus
Heard often each day, especially near the cottages and at the cemetery, and seen occasionally. Also present in forested areas near Bittangabee.

VARIED SITTELLA Daphoenositta chrysoptera
Seen in forest on walks from Bittangabee on 8th and 10th.

CRESTED SHRIKE-TIT Falcunculus frontatus
One near SS Ly-ee-moon cemetery on 9th and in forests during walks from Bittangabee on 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th.

GOLDEN WHISTLER Pachycephala pectoralis
Heard and seen occasionally.

RUFOUS WHISTLER Pachycephala rufiventris
Heard on the 9th and seen at least twice in forests during walk to Cape on 10th.

GREY SHRIKE-THRUSH Colluricincla harmonica
Heard and seen occasionally.

BLACK-FACED MONARCH Monarcha melanopsis
Seen near Bittangabee campsite on 7th and 9th an again seen in forests on Bittangabee to Cape walk on the 10th.

GREY FANTAIL Rhipidura fuliginosa
A few seen each day.

BLACK-FACED CUCKOO-SHRIKE Coracina novaehollandiae
Often seen at Bittangabee [Tobias Hayashi]

Tricky one. Not a Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike but a dark morph White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike dispatching a cicada. Picture by Julian Robinson

WHITE-BELLIED CUCKOO-SHRIKE Coracina papuensis
Two seen in forest on walk to Cape from Bittangabee on 8th and again one seen in the forest during the walk from Bittangabee on the 10th.

Olive-backed Oriole by Julian Robinson
He writes: In the tree above our favourite picnic table. Sitting beside this picnic table may have been the source of my seven - yes, seven - miniature ticks found since the trip. South coast ticks are not to be recommended.

OLIVE-BACKED ORIOLE Oriolus sagittatus
Single birds seen on 9th and 10th near the cottages and in forest during Bittangabee walk on 10th.

DUSKY WOODSWALLOW Artamus cyanopterus
More than 50 seen over heaths near the Cape on 8th and four seen on heaths during the Bittangabee to Cape walk on 10th.

PIED CURRAWONG Strepera graculina
A few noted but not numerous.

AUSTRALIAN RAVEN Corvus coronoides
One seen near the cottages on 8th and another on the heathlands on the 11th.

SATIN BOWERBIRD Ptilonorhynchus violaceus
Seen and heard in forested area on walks from Bittangabee on 9th and 10th.

Australian Pipit nestlings by Julian Robinson
He writes: How easy it must be to unknowingly crush nests that are placed in the grass around your feet. These nests are fairly tricky to find but this time I came across one by seeing the parent fly into it from a distance, and another when we flushed a parent accidentally. The other contained three eggs.

AUSTRALIAN PIPIT Anthus australis
A breeding pair near the cottages with a nest found west of the lighthouse on the 9th with two young being fed every day during the week.

Beautiful Firetails by Julian Robinson
He writes: (top) Plain looking from any distance, the barring is only evident at close quarters. These guys ventured in and out of the adjacent heath to feed on the grass seeds amongst the lawn mown by the wallabies. Every time you moved a muscle they'd be back in the heath/scrub in a blink and a buzz of wings.(middle) captioned - Well it doesn't smell like an egg... I think we should call the bomb squad. Beautiful Firetails apparently discussing a wallaby dropping. (bottom) I only just noticed the also-beautiful lilac eye ring. My books say it's blue, but it's not in these birds.

BEAUTIFUL FIRETAIL Stagonopleura bella
Three birds regularly present on the track between the car park and the back of the cottages every day.

EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH Carduelis carduelis
Two seen on heaths near Cape on 9th [Tobias Hayashi].


MISTLETOEBIRD Dicaeum hirundinaceum
Reported as seen on the 9th.

WELCOME SWALLOW Hirundo neoxena
Up to 20 birds seen along the cliffs at the Cape every day but no nests located.

SILVEREYE Zosterops lateralis
Several parties seen and heard near the cottages, all of the southern subspecies. Seen in forest during walk from Bittangabee to the lighthouse on 10th.

Bassian Thrush by Julian Robinson

BASSIAN THRUSH Zoothera lunulata
A bird regularly seen near the car park but often frustratingly difficult to find.

Mammals recorded

DUSKY ANTECHINUS Antechinus swainsonii
Reported from Bittangabee [Tobias Hayashi]

BANDICOOT sp.
Numerous fresh diggings seen in forest during walk from Bittangabee to the lighthouse on 10th. Probable LONG-NOSED BANDICOOT Perameles nasuta seen at the Cape on 11th.

COMMON WOMBAT Vombatus ursinus
Signs abundant but only one seen at Bittangabee on 7th and another at night on 11th outside cottages on cliff edge. Scats seen throughout the forest area and occasionally on the heath during walk from Bittangabee to the lighthouse on 10th.

COMMON RING-TAIL POSSUM Pseudochirus peregrinus
As usual, several ‘dreys’ were seen in the dense Melaleuca armillaris near the cemetery at the Cape and elsewhere in similar scrubby areas.

EASTERN GREY KANGAROO Macropus giganteus
One seen below lighthouse on 11th and two on the heath the same day.

RED-NECKED WALLABY Macropus rufogriseus
Two seen near Bittangabee on 9th [Tobias Hayashi]

BLACK (SWAMP) WALLABY Wallabia bicolor
Several seen near the light station and on walk from Bittangabee on 10th.

AUSTRALIAN FUR SEAL Arctocephalus pusillus (doriferus)
A resident pod off the tip of Green Cape all week. Probably 20-30 individuals.

EUROPEAN RABBIT Orytolagus cuniculus
One seen.

Humpback Whales by Julian Robinson

Humpback Whale

HUMPBACK WHALE Megaptera novaeangliae
Constant movement of pods going south with often many individuals in sight at any one time. Frequently we saw females with young and often an additional adult or two was seen accompanying them. No counts were attempted.

HOUSE MOUSE Mus musculus
One seen in Cottage #1 most days!

BUSH RAT Rattus fuscipes
One photographed by Julian Robinson in a wood pile near the Cottages and considered to be this species.

Reptiles seen

Lace Monitor, or Common Tree Goanna, seen on our walk

LACE MONITOR Veranus varius
A fine specimen seen during the walk from Bittangabee to the Cape on 10th.

JACKY LIZARD Amphibolurus muricatus
Several seen during the week.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the caretakers at Green Cape, Alan and Sandy Roadknight, for their most generous hospitality during our stay. We must also thank Julian Robinson for so generously allowing us to add some of his superb pictures to this report. Tobias Hayashi added several important sightings from his observations while camping at Bittangabee.

Eric Pilcher and Peter Fullagar
Friday, October 19, 2007

Spiral staircase in the tower

Mechanism in the lamp room

Green Cape