Willis Island I
Between September 2018 and April 2019 I had the opportunity to work and live on a tropical island in the Coral Sea.
Willis Island is the only permanently inhabited island in the Coral Sea Islands Territory, an external territory of Australia, located beyond the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea. The Island is about 450km east of Cairns.
The island is about 500 metres long and 150 metres wide and has been an operational weather station since 1921. The population is 4, which are all there to operate and maintain the weather station. The 4 person crew are deployed to the island for a 6 month term.
The following photographs are a selection of the wildlife and life in general on this special, wonderful sandy cay.
February 2019 - View from a drone looking north along the coral reef
October 2018 - Juvenile Sooty Tern
November 2018 - Spectacular sunset featuring crepuscular rays
December 2018 - Young masked Booby - landed on the beach - came from Middle island about 8km away.
January 2019 - Close up of the head of a Brown Booby showing defect in it’s eye
February 2019 - Squall line approaching the island
February 2019 - Beautiful colouring of a Red Footed Booby
March 2019 - Close up of a Black Noddy tern
October 2018 - Crab on the reef at the northern end of the island
November 2018 - Juvenile Brown Booby
December 2018 - A squadron of Brown Booby birds
January 2019 - Buff-banded Rail
February 2019 - Close up of a Red Footed Booby
February 2019 - Lesser Frigatebird in flight
March 2019 - Red Footed Booby silhouetted against a vivid sunset
October 2018 - Male Brown Booby sitting on two eggs
November 2018 - Leopard Eel in a shallow pool in the reef at the northern end of the island
December 2018 - Lesser Frigatebird in flight
January 2019 - Brown Booby chick becoming an adult
February 2019 - A pair of Brown Booby birds - male on the left and female on the right.
February 2019 - Fierce looking crab in a shallow rock pool
March 2019 - Close up of a Red Footed Booby
October 2018 - Close up of a male Brown Booby and fly
November 2018 - Newly hatched Brown Booby chick
December 2018 - Brown Booby gathering at the southern end of the island
January 2019 - Common Noddy terns roosting in a small tree, facing the wind.
February 2019 - A Red Footed Booby and a group of Common Noddy terns await the approach of a storm.
February 2019 - View of Willis island from above (taken with a drone) - the view is to the south.
March 2019 - Itinerant Great Egret catching fish on the reef.
October 2018 - Bird silhouette on a spectacular Willis Island sunset.
November 2018 - Bedraggled, guano covered Noddy tern chick - nest under another nest on a higher branch.
December 2018 - Sharp close up of a Red Footed Booby.
January 2019 - bird silhouetted against the setting sun.
February 2019 - Squall line approaching from the southeast.
February 2019 - Itinerant Sacred Kingfisher visited the island.
March 2019 - Crested tern sitting on a egg.
October 2018 - a pair of large hermit Crabs on the beach.
November 2018 - Superb colours of a Red Footed Booby.
December 2018 - Pacific Golden Plover.
January 2019 - Cumulus sky filled with birds just before sunset.
February 2019 - Squall line across the southern horizon approaching the island.
February 2019 - Red Footed Booby finds the perfect branch.
March 2019 - During late February and early March the Sooty terns return to the island in great numbers to breed.
October 2018 - Brown Booby directly overhead.
November 2018 - Hermit Crab on the march.
December 2018 - Close up of a Brown Booby - showing the amazing detail of it’s eye.
January 2019 - Young Brown Booby in flight.
February 2019 - Sharp focused close up of a juvenile Red Footed Booby.
February 2019 - Early morning crepuscular rays.
March 2019 - Squadron of Brown Booby birds gliding in the wind.
October 2018 - Sooty tern overhead.
November 2018 - Drone shot of Turtle tracks on the beach at the southern end of the island.
December 2018 - Birds and branches silhouetted against a stunning sunset.
January 2019 - Flock of Noddy terns in flight close to shore.
February 2019 - Lesser Frigatebird in flight just over the beach.
February 2019 - Many hundreds if not thousands of birds in the air at sunset.
March 2019 - Beautiful early morning stroll around the island.