At last!,ideal conditions to venture outdoors so I visited Billy Light’s Pt,and I was amazed at the dry condition of the scrubland.Shrubs dead or dying,Eucalypt branches down due to lack of moisture and flexibility and the new growth on the tips burnt by the wind.The only flowers sighted were Dryland tea tree and Alcock’s wattle (see Wattles ),both appear to thrive in the dry environment.The top soil is dry and powdery,resulting in the wheelchair being bogged,and me being stuck in the scrub for an hour waiting for a passer by, with with no phone and the bush flies for company.
DRYLAND TEA TREE Melaleuca lanceolata Also called Moonah,a shrub or tree to 5M,leaves alternate,linear to narrow-elliptic,5-15mm long,1-3mm broad.Flowers creamy-white,barrel-shaped,Summer months.Fruit smooth,spherical,4-5mm diam.Found in S.A,W.A,Vic,Qld,N.S.W. (Photo-Billy Light’s Point )
The beach was quieter than normal,apart from a few terns,gulls and ducks.I never reached the Point where the main activity is because of the soft conditions.The arrival of bait-fish in Porter Bay ,probably Anchovies,which appear every Summer,has attracted the terns.There are 3 terns common in Lincoln Cove
CASPIAN TERN
Hydroprogne caspia
The worlds largest tern,with a
length of 50-60 cm,a wingspan
of 130-145 cm and an average
weight of 650 g.Adult birds
have black legs and a thick red
bill.Food is mainly fish and it
breeds locally on offshore
islands.Found Worldwide.
(Photo-Billy Light’s Beach )
Note the size compared with
the Silver Gull
Our most common Tern,breeding in large colonies on offshore islands.Upper parts are grey,bill yellow and the distinguishing crest black.This crest recedes in Winter and is used for breeding displays.
Photo shows Crested Terns with Silver Gulls resting amongst Neptunes Necklace ( Hormosira banksii ) at low tide,Billy Light’s Pt.
Note the non breeding adult with the baldy head at the back.
FAIRY TERN Sternula nereis nereis Australia’s smallest tern,22-27cm in length, wieghing 70g and a wingspan of 45-53cm.It has a white forehead,yellow beak and legs.Breeds locally,feeding on small bait –fish caught by plunge diving.Sexes similar and usually found in pairs.
( Photo – Billy Light’s Beach )
