Michaelmas Cay
The Great Barrier Reef lies several kilometres off the coast of Queensland, Australia on the Coral Sea. It is the world's largest single structure of living organisms and the only life form visible from outer space. The organisms, called coral polyps, make up corals of different shape, size and colour. The Reef is an Australian National Park and is thus protected, although recently climate change has impacted it adversely.
Within the boundaries of the Reef is an interesting spot for birders. It is Michaelmas Cay, a small, low-elevation sandy island on the surface of the Reef. Thousands of sea birds congregate there for nesting and raising their young. The small island is an official Bird Sanctuary.
Both the Barrier Reef and Michaelmas Cay can be toured by ferry from Cairns. The Cay is about 33 kilometres out in the ocean, so this is an all-day affair. During my October trip to Northeastern Australia, I went on this trip.
It was a sunny day and the aquamarine blue ocean sparkled in the sunshine. Birds were sparse during the first two hours on the boat: we only saw gulls and terns. Nearing our destination, the ship's approach to the Cay was guided by a series of buoys on the water. High overhead we occasionally saw large black frigatebirds with hooked beaks. As we came closer to the Cay, the ship's crew threw out fistfuls of small fish into the water. This caused a great squabble as gulls swooped in to snatch the snacks before larger fish raced to the surface to swallow them.
Our boat anchored about five hundred meters from the Cay which, it turned out, was much like a char. We then boarded a smaller rowboat and came ashore. The Cay was roped off, but there was a visitor's area on one side where one could walk up and down to observe the birds up-close.
The three or four hours I spent with those birds were memorable.
The birds, not feeling threatened by people, were approachable. Although most were inside the roped off area, some came close to people without fear. Many roosted on the sand. Others sat with their chicks, feeding them. Couples rubbed each other's beaks, showing affection and bonding. Hungry birds flew sorties over the water with a fishing agenda. Occasionally, if a bird did not swallow its catch quickly, other birds chased it.
There were relatively few species: Common Noddy, Brown Booby, various terns, frigatebirds, gulls, egrets and other shorebirds. But their numbers and intimate proximity made up for the limited variety.
The memories of Michaelmas Cay came to my mind when I visited chars of the Padma river in Rajshahi in November. The Bangladesh Bird Club has proposed a Bird Sanctuary in four of these bird-rich chars. If this can be implemented, we too could have a wonderful place to visit – a place that would attract tourists, show what conservation can achieve and be a home to some of our avian treasures.
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