Mud Islands
Victoria |
The Mud Islands reserve is located within Port Phillip, about 90 km (56 mi) south-west of Melbourne, Australia, lying 10 km (6.2 mi) inside Port Phillip Heads, 7 km (4.3 mi) north of Portsea and 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Queenscliff. The land area of about 50 hectares (120 acres) is made up of three low-lying islands surrounding a shallow tidal 35-hectare (86-acre) lagoon connected to the sea by three narrow channels. The shapes and configuration of the islands change over the years due to movement of sand by tidal currents.[1]
History
Acting Lieutenant John Murray discovered the islands in February 1802 while surveying the Port Phillip shoreline. Murray's party observed numerous swans and pelicans on the islands, which prompted him to name the group "Swan Isles". At first sight, large guano deposits made the islands appear to be rocky outcrops, and Murray's inaccurate sketch of the islands demonstrates that they were not surveyed by his party. Over the next 140 years, the islands were periodically visited by individuals such as fishermen and guano-diggers, and Lieutenants T.M. Symonds and H.R. Henry of HMS Rattlesnake surveyed the islands in 1836 and renamed them Mud Islands. However, the first careful scientific study of the islands was not made until 1945.[2]
Protection
In 1961, the Victorian Fisheries and Wildlife Department declared the islands a sanctuary for the white-faced storm petrel.[3] In 1979, the area of the islands above high water was proclaimed a permanent reserve for the management of wildlife.[4] It forms part of the Port Phillip Bay (Western Shoreline) and Bellarine Peninsula Ramsar Site, which was designated in, as a wetland of international importance, and it is also included on the Register of the National Estate. Since 2002 it has been, with the adjacent waters, part of the Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park.
Environment
Flora
Within the reserve there are nine native vegetation communities.
Fauna
The site is part of the Swan Bay and Port Phillip Bay Islands Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International.[5] Some 70 species of birds have been recorded on the Islands, which form essential breeding, feeding and roosting areas for seabirds and waders, many of them migratory.
Seabirds
The isolation of the islands provides protection from predators and makes them an ideal sanctuary for breeding seabirds, notably the five and a half thousand
Silver gulls are even more numerous. During the second half of the 20th century the breeding population increased to about 100,000. Given a chance, gulls readily attack the eggs and young of other breeding seabirds. The impact is under study.
Other seabirds nesting on Mud Islands include nearly a thousand
Waders
The mud from which the islands get their name is excellent feeding habitat for migratory
Other
Few land birds are permanently resident, although many species visit and may breed. Large numbers of
Access
The islands can only be reached by boat, the most convenient departure points being Queenscliff or Sorrento. Day visitors are permitted, but overnight camping is not. BirdLife Australia conduct regular tours to Mud Islands, usually in February and March. South Bay Eco Adventures also run guided walking tours of the islands. As the islands are surrounded by shallow waters, visitors need to be cautious when attempting a landing. Passengers must be ferried to shore by dinghy or else wade in. Visits need careful planning to avoid the boat being stranded at low tide.
References
- ^ Menkhorst, P. W.; Kerry, K. R.; Hall, E. F. (October 1988). "Seabird islands No 181, Mud Islands, Port Phillip Bay, Victoria" (PDF). Corella. 12 (3): 72–77.
- ^ "Mud Islands, Port Phillip Bay : their geology, botany and entomology". Mem. Nat. Mus. Vict. 15 (1947): 131-138: 131-132.
- ^ "Mud Islands Sanctuary for Petrels" Melbourne Age, 21 June 1961 p. 5
- ^ Jennifer Byrne, "Victoria lands a marine park", Melbourne Age, 21 December 1978 p. 3
- ^ "IBA: Swan Bay and Port Phillip Bay Islands". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
- Parks Victoria. (2006). Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park Management Plan. Parks Victoria: Melbourne. ISBN 0-7311-8349-5