MOUNTAIN WALKS
Goat House Walk, Mt. Lidgbird
This walk provided a good introduction to the montane plants and also was good for demonstrating what the longer Mt. Gower trek would be like. The trail commenced in the lowlands and then followed a ridge to the first line of cliffs of Mt. Lidgbird. The Goat House is an overhang that forms a natural shelter.
The trail passed through tall rainforest. Scalybarks (Syzigium fullagarii) were numerous trees and often had buttressed trunks.
The endemic Pandanus (Pandanus forsteri) was numerous near the start of the track.
Further along, Curly Palm (Howea belmoreana) became abundant.
After climbing for an hour and a half, we reached the Goat House. The view over the northern portion of the island was great.
I found a small trail that continued around to the southeastern slope of Mt. Lidgbird. This area was beautiful. It was cooler and probably received greater rainfall. As a result, the plant life changed dramatically.
Here are a few of the plants from Mt. Lidgbird.
Mountain Rose (Metrosideros nervulosa) had just commenced flowering.
Dracophyllum fitzgeraldii (Epacridaceae) -- the tallest of all the Australian heath plants.
Tea Tree (Melaleuca howeana) -- an endemic that is one of the "Aussie" contingent
Mountain Daisy (Olearia balli)
Lidgbird orchid (Dendrobium sp.) -- I saw many of these small orchids on the rocky cliffs of Mt. Lidgbird.
unknown
Pimelia congesta
Westringia viminalis
Golden Orb Weavers were common spiders. Some of these were large.
Summit Trek, Mt. Gower
The high point of my visit was climbing Mt. Gower. The walk is not all that long but it proceeds from sea level to 875m. The upper section of the walk is particularly steep so the climb is an all-day event. My climb began at 7am and completed at 5:30pm. Walkers can only climb with a guide and weather permitting, there are one of two excursions each week.
The trail commenced about 1.5 km from the cliffs.
It passed through dense Kentia Palm forest with Banyan Trees at the base of Mt. Lidgbird.
After reaching the cliffs, there was a steep climb and then a walk along a ledge that is 90m above the rocky shore. This section was safe with ropes and our group size never changed.
After an hour or so of a slog up the hill, we reached the saddle between Mt. Lidgbird and Mt. Gower. We stopped at a creek that is home to two species of endemic crustaceans. I found many of the 2cm long shrimp (Parataya howensis) but could not find any of the tiny black crabs (Hymenosoma lacustris):
The trail became steep above the saddle. Ropes were in place across the most difficult sections so again, it was quite safe. Only one person could use a rope at a time so this gave me plenty of opportunities to take photos (and catch my breath!).
Finally, we reached the summit where we stopped for lunch. The view over the lagoon was gorgeous.
From the Gower summit, we could look back and down at Mt. Lidgbird.
The top of Mt. Gower is a plateau that is covered with mist forest. The forest was dense and most plants were covered with mosses, lichens, ferns and orchids:
Mt. Gower's mist forests are the result of clouds that often envelope the summit:
The Mt. Gower plateau is the main nesting locality for the Providence Petrel (a.k.a., Solander's Petrel). We saw many active nesting burrows but no adult birds. They are autumn/winter nesters that arrive back on the island in March each year. At that time, the adults are extremely inquisitive and fearless. Our guide said that if you shout or make loud noises, the birds will plummet through the canopy and land on the ground around you to see what is making the racket. On my visit, there were young birds in the burrows but the adults were out feeding over the sea. They don't return with their catch until nightfall.
The beautiful Gower Pumpkin Tree (Negria rhabdothamnoides) only grows on the upper slopes of the mountains. It is an arborescent member of the African violet family (e.g., Gesneriaceae).
unknown,
urticaceae
Lordhowea insularis -- I really the "original" latin name of this composite.
Island Apple (Dysoxylon pachyphyllum) had cauliforous fruits.
Wedding Lilies (Dietes robinsoniana) had flowers that lasted only a day. It also has a bizarre distribution. The genus is only found on Lord Howe Island and in southern Africa.
Mountain Rose (Metrosideros nervulosa) have showy flowers. This genus is widespread across the islands of the South Pacific. Some of you may know a relative from Hawaii ("Ohia") that is popular with the Hawaiian Honeycreepers.
Kava plants (Macropiper hooglandii) were common in the understorey of the Gower plateau. These plants apparently do not have the same effect as the species that is so loved in Fiji.
Mt. Gower is known for its diverse and endemic ferns. Here are photos of a few of the species that I saw while climbing to the summit:
There are four species of endemic palms on Lord Howe Island. For those interested in palms, there is a good article with island photos at this site:
http://www.lordhowe-tours.com.au/docs/Lepidorrachis2.pdf
Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana) -- these palms were abundant in the lowland areas. They are grown commercially for use as an indoor ornamental.
Curly Palm (Howea belmoreana) -- most common on the lower slopes a little above the Kentia Palms.
Big Mountain Palm (Howea canterburyana) -- only grows on the mountains above 400m.
Little Mountain Palm (Lepidorrhachis mooreana) -- restricted to mountaintops.
Rock Orchids were abundant on the slopes of Mt. Gower.
Bush Orchids (Dendrobium macropus) 1, 2, 3. These orchids were flowering in the lower and mid-elevations.
Dendrobium moorei 4, were common on trees at higher elevations.
]
Pied Currawong were bold and inquisitive birds. These are an endemic race with a larger bill than those on the mainland. Their call was much the same as what I hear in Wollongong but their song was different. These would sing with a rich, organ-like tone that resembled the song of Black Butcherbirds up in the tropics of northern Queensland. Most of the Currawongs were banded as part of an ongoing population study.
Golden Whistlers are also represented by an endemic race. These birds were common in all forest types from the lowlands to the top of Mt. Gower.
Lore Howe Island Woodhens. These big, flightless rails declined to 22 individuals in the 1970s. After that, the Lord Howe Island Board set about trapping feral cats and these pests are now eradicated. As a result, the Woodhen population has flourished and there are now more that 200 of these distinctive birds. I was quite surprised by their "songs". They sounded much like the screeching of a falcon. While calling, they would hold their checkered wings partially opened and drooped.
I only saw these flies with strange orange eyes at the summit of Mt. Gower. Here, they were enjoying the delights of fresh Woodhen excrement.
I found these beetles to be very interesting. They appear to be flightless and all that I observed lived high up on the slopes of Mt. Gower. Most were feeding on the flowers of a kava. Carl Olson of the Univ. of Az identified these as Chauliognathus apterus, members of Cantharidae. The ridges on the abdomen of the female are so odd.
Banded Land Rails were common birds. Unlike the Woodhen, these were wary and quick to flee to cover.
NORTHERN LORD HOWE
Malabar Lookout
These are some of the little Admiralty Islets that are visible from Malabar Lookout. They all had massive colonies of seabirds.
Grass Skinks (Lampropholis delicata) are an introduced species that has flourished on the main island despite the rats.
Lord Howe Island has the largest nesting colony of Red-tailed Tropicbirds in the world. October is the month when these birds nest and they were everywhere along the cliffs. I loved to sit at Malabar Lookout and watch these birds fly gracefully back and forth along the cliff face. Sometimes, they would display. The first photo below shows the display posture where they lower their long red tail streamers. On occasion, several birds would interact. They would catch thermals, spiral upward and then drop again while holding their tail streamers downward like this. It was an interesting sight to see multiple birds looping around and around while calling harshly. I also saw synchronized flying by a few pairs.
Sooty Terns were the most abundant seabird on the island. They nested in a variety of habitats that included grassy pastures, rocky hilltops, beaches and offshore islets.
Here are a few of the plants that grew near the Malabar Lookout.
Christmas Bush (Alyxia ruscifolia) -- pretty shrubs with orange fruits.
Orchids were numerous along the cliffs between Malabar and Kim's Lookouts. Some of these were flowering.
I saw a few Lepidopterans on the ridgetop. These included:
Our week long trip went fast and all too soon, it was time to leave.
Regards,
David
Goat House Walk, Mt. Lidgbird
This walk provided a good introduction to the montane plants and also was good for demonstrating what the longer Mt. Gower trek would be like. The trail commenced in the lowlands and then followed a ridge to the first line of cliffs of Mt. Lidgbird. The Goat House is an overhang that forms a natural shelter.
The trail passed through tall rainforest. Scalybarks (Syzigium fullagarii) were numerous trees and often had buttressed trunks.
The endemic Pandanus (Pandanus forsteri) was numerous near the start of the track.
Further along, Curly Palm (Howea belmoreana) became abundant.
After climbing for an hour and a half, we reached the Goat House. The view over the northern portion of the island was great.
I found a small trail that continued around to the southeastern slope of Mt. Lidgbird. This area was beautiful. It was cooler and probably received greater rainfall. As a result, the plant life changed dramatically.
Here are a few of the plants from Mt. Lidgbird.
Mountain Rose (Metrosideros nervulosa) had just commenced flowering.
Dracophyllum fitzgeraldii (Epacridaceae) -- the tallest of all the Australian heath plants.
Tea Tree (Melaleuca howeana) -- an endemic that is one of the "Aussie" contingent
Mountain Daisy (Olearia balli)
Lidgbird orchid (Dendrobium sp.) -- I saw many of these small orchids on the rocky cliffs of Mt. Lidgbird.
unknown
Pimelia congesta
Westringia viminalis
Golden Orb Weavers were common spiders. Some of these were large.
Summit Trek, Mt. Gower
The high point of my visit was climbing Mt. Gower. The walk is not all that long but it proceeds from sea level to 875m. The upper section of the walk is particularly steep so the climb is an all-day event. My climb began at 7am and completed at 5:30pm. Walkers can only climb with a guide and weather permitting, there are one of two excursions each week.
The trail commenced about 1.5 km from the cliffs.
It passed through dense Kentia Palm forest with Banyan Trees at the base of Mt. Lidgbird.
After reaching the cliffs, there was a steep climb and then a walk along a ledge that is 90m above the rocky shore. This section was safe with ropes and our group size never changed.
After an hour or so of a slog up the hill, we reached the saddle between Mt. Lidgbird and Mt. Gower. We stopped at a creek that is home to two species of endemic crustaceans. I found many of the 2cm long shrimp (Parataya howensis) but could not find any of the tiny black crabs (Hymenosoma lacustris):
The trail became steep above the saddle. Ropes were in place across the most difficult sections so again, it was quite safe. Only one person could use a rope at a time so this gave me plenty of opportunities to take photos (and catch my breath!).
Finally, we reached the summit where we stopped for lunch. The view over the lagoon was gorgeous.
From the Gower summit, we could look back and down at Mt. Lidgbird.
The top of Mt. Gower is a plateau that is covered with mist forest. The forest was dense and most plants were covered with mosses, lichens, ferns and orchids:
Mt. Gower's mist forests are the result of clouds that often envelope the summit:
The Mt. Gower plateau is the main nesting locality for the Providence Petrel (a.k.a., Solander's Petrel). We saw many active nesting burrows but no adult birds. They are autumn/winter nesters that arrive back on the island in March each year. At that time, the adults are extremely inquisitive and fearless. Our guide said that if you shout or make loud noises, the birds will plummet through the canopy and land on the ground around you to see what is making the racket. On my visit, there were young birds in the burrows but the adults were out feeding over the sea. They don't return with their catch until nightfall.
The beautiful Gower Pumpkin Tree (Negria rhabdothamnoides) only grows on the upper slopes of the mountains. It is an arborescent member of the African violet family (e.g., Gesneriaceae).
unknown,
urticaceae
Lordhowea insularis -- I really the "original" latin name of this composite.
Island Apple (Dysoxylon pachyphyllum) had cauliforous fruits.
Wedding Lilies (Dietes robinsoniana) had flowers that lasted only a day. It also has a bizarre distribution. The genus is only found on Lord Howe Island and in southern Africa.
Mountain Rose (Metrosideros nervulosa) have showy flowers. This genus is widespread across the islands of the South Pacific. Some of you may know a relative from Hawaii ("Ohia") that is popular with the Hawaiian Honeycreepers.
Kava plants (Macropiper hooglandii) were common in the understorey of the Gower plateau. These plants apparently do not have the same effect as the species that is so loved in Fiji.
Mt. Gower is known for its diverse and endemic ferns. Here are photos of a few of the species that I saw while climbing to the summit:
There are four species of endemic palms on Lord Howe Island. For those interested in palms, there is a good article with island photos at this site:
http://www.lordhowe-tours.com.au/docs/Lepidorrachis2.pdf
Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana) -- these palms were abundant in the lowland areas. They are grown commercially for use as an indoor ornamental.
Curly Palm (Howea belmoreana) -- most common on the lower slopes a little above the Kentia Palms.
Big Mountain Palm (Howea canterburyana) -- only grows on the mountains above 400m.
Little Mountain Palm (Lepidorrhachis mooreana) -- restricted to mountaintops.
Rock Orchids were abundant on the slopes of Mt. Gower.
Bush Orchids (Dendrobium macropus) 1, 2, 3. These orchids were flowering in the lower and mid-elevations.
Dendrobium moorei 4, were common on trees at higher elevations.
Pied Currawong were bold and inquisitive birds. These are an endemic race with a larger bill than those on the mainland. Their call was much the same as what I hear in Wollongong but their song was different. These would sing with a rich, organ-like tone that resembled the song of Black Butcherbirds up in the tropics of northern Queensland. Most of the Currawongs were banded as part of an ongoing population study.
Golden Whistlers are also represented by an endemic race. These birds were common in all forest types from the lowlands to the top of Mt. Gower.
Lore Howe Island Woodhens. These big, flightless rails declined to 22 individuals in the 1970s. After that, the Lord Howe Island Board set about trapping feral cats and these pests are now eradicated. As a result, the Woodhen population has flourished and there are now more that 200 of these distinctive birds. I was quite surprised by their "songs". They sounded much like the screeching of a falcon. While calling, they would hold their checkered wings partially opened and drooped.
I only saw these flies with strange orange eyes at the summit of Mt. Gower. Here, they were enjoying the delights of fresh Woodhen excrement.
I found these beetles to be very interesting. They appear to be flightless and all that I observed lived high up on the slopes of Mt. Gower. Most were feeding on the flowers of a kava. Carl Olson of the Univ. of Az identified these as Chauliognathus apterus, members of Cantharidae. The ridges on the abdomen of the female are so odd.
Banded Land Rails were common birds. Unlike the Woodhen, these were wary and quick to flee to cover.
NORTHERN LORD HOWE
Malabar Lookout
These are some of the little Admiralty Islets that are visible from Malabar Lookout. They all had massive colonies of seabirds.
Grass Skinks (Lampropholis delicata) are an introduced species that has flourished on the main island despite the rats.
Lord Howe Island has the largest nesting colony of Red-tailed Tropicbirds in the world. October is the month when these birds nest and they were everywhere along the cliffs. I loved to sit at Malabar Lookout and watch these birds fly gracefully back and forth along the cliff face. Sometimes, they would display. The first photo below shows the display posture where they lower their long red tail streamers. On occasion, several birds would interact. They would catch thermals, spiral upward and then drop again while holding their tail streamers downward like this. It was an interesting sight to see multiple birds looping around and around while calling harshly. I also saw synchronized flying by a few pairs.
Sooty Terns were the most abundant seabird on the island. They nested in a variety of habitats that included grassy pastures, rocky hilltops, beaches and offshore islets.
Here are a few of the plants that grew near the Malabar Lookout.
Christmas Bush (Alyxia ruscifolia) -- pretty shrubs with orange fruits.
Orchids were numerous along the cliffs between Malabar and Kim's Lookouts. Some of these were flowering.
I saw a few Lepidopterans on the ridgetop. These included:
- Australian Admiral
Common Grass Blue
Painted Lady
and an elegant Moth (Palpita sp.)
Our week long trip went fast and all too soon, it was time to leave.
Regards,
David
