12 Nov 14 - It Was A Long Day On Tenararo

I set a new record on the day we visited Tenararo with over 1300 photos taken. This combined with the enigmatic species that I saw, has resulted in the day being split into a number of Posts covering Tuamotu Sandpiper, Atoll Fruit-dove, Polynesian Ground Dove & Bristle-thighed Curlew. This final Post will complete the other species seen on Tenararo as well as feature some new Tuamotu Sandpiper photos.

A typical view of the inside of the island

From the beach it looks like a well vegetated round island. In reality, the island is a ring with an inner lagoon, which connects to the sea on really high tides. It is about 100 - 150 metres from the coastal beach to the lagoon beach.

The inner lagoon: We were told it would not be a safe idea to try swimming in the lagoon as there were concerns of Sharks having been trapped inside the lagoon on the highest tides & a potential risk if we met one of the less docile species

The mouth of the lagoon: The sea flows over the mouth on the highest tides

The bushes at the edge of the lagoon had nesting Boobies & Frigatebirds

Steve: Note, the Tuamotu Sandpiper that had got bored with us  & was leaving

Masked Booby: They were nesting on both the inner & outer beaches

Masked Booby & chick

White Tern

Crested Tern: One or two were patrolling the inner lagoon

The Great Frigatebirds weren't shy

Great Frigatebird: Juv

It wasn't just Birds on Tenararo that were of interest. I saw reasonable numbers of the stunning Heliotrope Moth.

Heliotrope Moth: It was the only Moth that I saw on the island

White-bellied Skink: They were very skittish & not easy to photograph

Grapsid Crab sp. on the beach: They look pretty smart from the side

Grapsid Crab sp.: But head on they are stunning

Finally, it would be rude not to add a few more Tuamotu Sandpiper photos now that I have had chance to look the over 400 photos I took of them on the first visit to Tenararo. As I walked through to the inner beach, I was regularly greeted as I moved into a new territory. At least one of each pair would normally come really close to check me out & most called. Generally, they approached to within a metre or two, before backing off a bit. Quite often they would head up onto low branches & sit watching me. I think a number of these individuals were breeding & may have been calling to young chicks to keep still. Although I didn't see any chicks, some of the others did find them nesting when we visited the island of Morane later in the trip. I guess they haven't needed to develop the more typical Wader broken wing strategy as they get so few visitors.

Tuamotu Sandpiper: They are really at home sitting in the trees

Tuamotu Sandpiper: I like the background of this & the last photo

Tuamotu Sandpiper: They would walk around a lot within a few metres & call a lot whilst walking

Tuamotu Sandpiper: Up close & personal

Tuamotu Sandpiper

Tuamotu Sandpiper: A final photo

Eventually, it was time to catch the jet boat back to the Braveheart

But a final thought: if you thought that an isolated uninhabited island hundreds of miles from people would be a clean place, then think again. There was plenty of rubbish that had been thrown up on the beaches by the sea.

Fishing float: The names showed they came from a variety of Pacific countries 

Another fishing float: They were a common sight

Netting & a large barrel: Presumably washed overboard from a fishing vessel 

9 Nov 14 - Return To Henderson Island

It was a quick breakfast this morning when news broke that Matt reckoned he could get us back ashore on Henderson Island, & better still, onto the main North beach. We had managed to land on the West beach a couple of days earlier, but We had been unable to find the Henderson Island Crake. After changing from another wet to the waist landing, We quickly unsuccessfully tried to find a Henderson Island Crake in the Coconut fringed edge behind the beach.

This shy Henderson Island Fruit-dove did put in a brief appearance

With no joy on the flat ground, it was time to switch to Plan B: this was to try the island plateau. There is a narrow, steep, rough track which leads up onto the plateau. Fortunately, everybody managed to get up the track without any problems. It wasn't until late in the afternoon on the first Henderson Island landing that We had discovered the other end of the track. That didn't look as straight-forward getting up & I'm not convinced all of the group would have made it up that track, so it was good that the main beach track was better.

The track crosses the island to the West beach through dense vegetation

We found a point on the track where it got slightly wider & stood around Chris as He played the tape of the Henderson Island Crake. After a few minutes, Chris spotted a movement. Fortunately, it was on my side of the track & I quickly saw this stunning small black flightless Crake, with bright orange-red legs & eye ring, as it stood a few metres into the vegetation looking for the intruder into its territory. I had a clear view of it through a gap & would have loved to raise the camera up for a photo. But there were still several of group behind who hadn't seen it & therefore, I stayed still as I didn't want to risk flushing it. A real shame as after that, while it remained on view for several minutes, I never had another chance of an unobscured photo. One of the Birds of the trip.

Henderson Island Crake: I will have to fall back on my photo of a painting in the Pitcairn museum

Henderson Island Reed Warbler: This put in an appearance to see how we were getting on with the more views of the Henderson Island Crake

Chris had radioed back to the Braveheart to say We had seen our last Henderson Island endemic. Unfortunately, the response from Matt was as the wind had been getting up from its initally fairly still conditions, then Matt was keen for us to head back to the beach, so we could be taken off before the sea state deteriorated further. This allowed about 30 minutes while Matt was bringing the Braveheart back in & relaunching the jet boat. I decided to carry on looking for the Henderson Island Crake, while some of the others headed back to the edge of the cliff in the hope of better views of Stephen's Lorikeet. We saw no more Crakes, but I did see this Lizard. I had seen similar looking Lizards on Pitcairn as well as on the first landing on Henderson Island, but failed to get any photos earlier in the trip.

White-bellied Skink Emoia cyanura: This occurs from Clipperton Island (Eastern Pacific) to Hawaii, the Caroline Islands of Micronesia and South to French Polynesia & the Pitcairn group

Far too quickly, We had to return to the beach so We could be collected. Clearly, having seen all the key endemic Birds, then it was better to get off the island safely, but I think We would all have loved to spend more time on this special island.

Chris about to descend down the track back to the beach

Red-footed Booby: This Red-footed Booby flew over showing its distinctive red feet as we were waiting on the beach

The one downside of Henderson Island, is there was a plan to clear the island of the introduced Polynesian Rats. They are a major predator of both the endemic Landbirds & breeding Seabirds on the island. In 2011, the whole of island was baited with rat poison. Despite apparently initial success during the post baiting monitoring period, sadly, it didn't eliminated the Polynesian Rats on the island. But this was successful on the other Pitcairn islands of Ducie & Oeno that were also included in the Rat clearance program. Birdlife International are currently fund raising for a return visit in May 2015. So a plea from me. If you have enjoyed the Birds photos & Seabirds from recent Posts from Henderson Island & you would like to do something to help these incredible islands, then please join me & donate some money to Birdlife's Just Giving page.

https://www.justgiving.com/gift-for-nature/

There is also more information about the project on this Just Giving page. Thank you.