Michaelmas Cay for the Day

Having a visitor gave us an opportunity to have a day out on the Great Barrier Reef with a trip to Michaelmas Cay. This is a fantastic coral sand island located on the western tip of Michaelmas Reef 43km north-east of Cairns. The cay is a National Park and a protected sanctuary for breeding and migratory seabirds. 

We travelled out to the reef with Seastar Cruises, who are particularly aware of the birds and birdwatchers who want to see the thousands of birds here. The day was perfect with a calm mill pond like ocean and sunny skies. This was our first visit for many years. There were six other fellow birders on board, one Aussie and five Chinese bird photographers along with another 30 passengers. The trip out was uneventful, consisting mainly of safety briefings, collecting snorkeling gear and some watching for birds but few were seen. A few Sooty Tern were perched on the marker bouys or flying over the boat.

Sooty Tern

Once we approached Michaelmas Cay the bird numbers increased dramatically with Sooty Tern, Brown Booby, Common Noddy and three Great Frigatebird flying overhead. The island which was once vegetated is now nearly all sand with little sign of plants. This has been due to king tides washing over the cay in recent years.

Michaelmas Cay

Visitors are restricted to a small part of the cay, leaving the rest to the birds. Once on the cay the birds can be approached and not disturbed due to the restricted area for people.

Moored at Michaelmas Cay

Brown Booby had been nesting and had white fluffy chicks with them.

Brown Booby - adult male

Brown Booby - adult female with chick

Brown Booby nests were among the Common Noddy and Sooty Tern colonies. There were some Common Noddy on nests with one egg and Sooty Tern with chicks and eggs.

Common Noddy

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern - chick

A few Crested Tern were mixed in with the Common Noddy along the edge of the cay but none were observed nesting.

Crested Tern in among the Common Noddy

Overhead there were three Great Frigatebird, who landed on driftwood to perch for a while.

Great Frigatebird at rest

Great Frigatebird

Great Frigatebird

Sooty Tern were constantly coming and going.

Sooty Tern

The only other birds we saw on the cay were Silver Gull and Black-naped Tern who were hidden behind a rise in the sand and out of bounds.

The day was finished off at Hastings Reef with a glass bottom boat tour over the coral reef. The only birds we saw here were a few Black-naped tern on the mooring bouys.
 

For Sale - Canon EOS Camera Equipment - Keith Fisher.

Buyer pays postage, payment by PayPal.

Canon EF 300mm F2.8 ‘L Series Image Stabilised Lens, plus three lens hoods, 2 original and 1 AquaTech Soft Hood, which folds flat for travel (new $229.00) and unused case. Few scratches and wear marks on the outside but optically 100%, serviced by Canon. Kept in dehumidified cabinet so no fungus. Been a fantastic lens but unable to use it as a walk around lens anymore. ($9,250.00 Replacement cost), will also include 2x Extender I. $3250.00

Canon EOS 5D mkIII camera, low shutter count of 5750. Wear mark on base, 100% working condition. + 50mm 1.8 Lens $1550.00

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 EFII Lens $1350.00

Canon 100mm F2.8L macro Lens+ hood and Soft Case. Original packaging. Mint condition, no fungus. Kept in de-humidified cabinet. $840.00.

Canon MT 24X Macro Twin Lite flash. Has a few marks including a scratch on the screen but works 100%. Includes two flash diffusers, case and original packaging. Low price due to condition. $450.00. Lens + flash $1200

EOS 20D Works OK but has a small bit of fungus on bottom of sensor glass. Good for parts.$50.00

Both these lenses have a few spots of fungus but this does not affect the images

24mm Lens $50.00

28-105mm Lens $50.00