Deb and Mike
Ford gave a detailed presentation about their week on Christmas Island from 28
August to 04 September 2018. Commencing with general information about the
island’s people, climate, geology, and history, the illustrated talk covered
the various activities in which they had participated. Members were introduced
to the expert guides who took small groups around the island, giving them
insights and access to locations and information not available to the
self-guided tourist. Each evening the guides spoke about their own particular
research interest, association with Christmas Island, and ongoing conservation
programs.
Seabirds were
a big drawcard, in particular the endangered, endemic, golden morph of the
White-tailed Tropic-bird and the rare, endemic, Christmas Island Frigate bird
and Abbott’s Booby. Great and Lesser Frigate birds, Red-tailed Tropicbirds,
Red-footed Boobies, Brown Boobies, and the Common Noddy were all available in
their hundreds.
There are
only a few land bird species on the Island, but participation in the endemic
Christmas Island Goshawk Research Program was an enormous privilege. Some
birds, such as the endangered Emerald Dove are local sub-species of larger
groups, others like the Christmas Island Hawk Owl are endemic, and a few, for
example the White-faced Heron, are self-introduced to the Island.
Although not
on the Island at the time of the famous Red Crab migration, they were readily
seen in the forests, as were Robber Crabs and freshwater Blue Crabs. The
interesting breeding requirements of all three crabs were described, and their
importance to the Island’s ecology.
As with many
small islands, there are threats from introduced species: Yellow Crazy Ants,
Giant Centipedes, Giant African Land Snails, cats, rats, and snakes. The CI
Blue-tailed Skink and Lister’s Gecko are extinct in the wild and they are the
subject of active breeding programs, but the last CI Pipistrelle Bat, whose
extinction was predicted, was recorded in 2009. The single most serious threat
to the Island is from Yellow Crazy Ants.
They have reduced the Red Crab population from 100 million to 50 – 60 million
and are slowly killing rain-forest trees through their farming of scale
insects. Forming super-colonies with multiple queens they are probably
impossible to eradicate, and the best that can be hoped for is to restrict
their spread.
A fascinating destination: Chinese, Malay and mainland
Australian cultures live happily side-by-side on this remote island now hoping
to be able to rely on tourism with the winding back of phosphate mining and the
closure of the detention centre. Try and get there!
(Report by Deb Ford)
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