Nature Diary
Wilson Island is a national park, with nesting green turtles and loggerhead turtles as well as birdlife playing a key role in the island’s natural calendar.
On Wilson Island, black noddy terns nest in the island’s pisonia trees surrounding the luxury tents. And at night time the shearwater birds dominate with their mating calls. The shearwaters on Heron and Wilson Islands travel around the world each year but assiduously return to the same place to lay their eggs.
Click on each month to see who is dropping in.
January
- Being the peak breeding season for sea birds they are very active this time of year, up to 30,000-40,000 can be on the island, particularly Black Noddy Terns (Anous minutus), Wedgetailed Shearwater aka Mutton Birds (Puffinus pacificus), Bridled terns (Onychoprion anaethetus) and Roseate terns (Sterna dougallii).
- Female Green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) are laying eggs and turtle hatchlings can be seen making their way to the sea.
February
- Bridled terns (Onychoprion anaethetus), Roseate terns (Sterna dougallii), and Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Mutton Bird) chicks hatching.
- Island birdlife remains active with up to approximately 40,000 birds on the island.
- Female turtles are still laying eggs and hatchlings continue to emerge from the nest.
March
- Some birds show breeding plumage as they return to their Arctic nesting grounds.
- Birds still nesting, incl. the Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis), Bridled terns, Roseate terns and the Black Noddy Tern.
- Female turtles are at the end of the nesting season.
April
- Young Wedgetailed Shearwaters leave their burrows and adult Shearwaters begin to leave the island.
- Migratory birds such as Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) and Eastern Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva) start to leave the island for their Northern Hemisphere nesting grounds.
May
- The last of the turtle hatchlings can be seen emerging from their nests.
- Young Wedgetailed Shearwaters are still learning to fly in preparation to leave the island by the end of the month.
June
- Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliea) northern migration begins and they are often seen passing through waters around the Island.
- An average Humpback weighs 40 tonnes and measures 16 metres.
July
- Humpback Whales frequently sighted in the Capricornia Bunker region.
- Eastern Reef Egrets start building their nests.
August
- August is a month warming up to spring, and there is generally more activity on the reef and the island.
- Towards the end of the month the Black Noddies begin returning.
- Good Humpback Whale sightings.
September
- Humpback Whales are active, breaching regularly.
- Black Noddies are now returning to the island and will commence building their nests.
- Northern Hemisphere migratory birds, such as Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) and Eastern Golden Plovers (Pluvialis fulva) arrive back on the island.
October
- Whales begin heading south to the Antarctic with their calves.
- Black Noddies are nesting.
- Bridled terns, Roseate terns and Wedgetailed Shearwaters begin returning to the island to nest.
- Resident Silver Eyes also begin nesting.
- Turtle mating may be observed in the surrounding waters.
November
- Turtles begin laying eggs.
- Wedgetailed Shearwaters can be seen digging and repairing nesting burrows at night.
- Black Noddy Tern eggs can be seen in the nests.
- The annual synchronised mass spawning of corals usually occurs during this month.
December
- Bird life is extremely active with approximately 40,000 birds on the island.
- Numerous Black Noddy chicks can be seen.
- Wedgetailed Shearwaters are laying eggs.
- Turtle hatchlings begin emerging from the sand.
- Coral spawning may occur if this did not occur in November.
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