The white terns,which mainly nest in the trees in the town centre, have been back on the island for at least a month now. The first eggs have now hatched into these fluffy cute chicks.
They are a photographer’s delight as many are at eye level and the birds are not in the least bit timid.
The adult birds don’t build a nest but just lay their eggs onto the bare branch.
The second Sunday of every month is Market Day on Lord Howe Island.
The local area school turns into a bustling market with many varied stalls. Many of the locals get together to sell produce, secondhand clothing, art works and just to catch up on the local gossip! The kids line up for face painting with Charlotte, the local nursery sells fruit and vegetable seedlings and even the Board Administrator mans the coffee machine! Glenys’s cup cakes sell out 10 minutes after the market opens.
We have some talented artists and photographers on the Island. Our own spa therapist Sarah sells her beautiful hand drawn cards inspired by local vistas and wildlife along with Isak who specializes in surf photography.
It’s great to see that now this space is also being used to educate the community and visitors alike. The Island Board have a display on protecting the environment and Ian Hutton, the Museum Curator and island naturalist, has a display of the effects of plastic bags on the island’s seabirds. Ian and the Board are encouraging all operators to use bio-degradable plastic bags and take away containers. They are even supplying these free to operators for 3 months. Many Lodges are now encouraging re-usable water bottles for all their guests.
Of course, here at Capella, we initiated the use of re-usable bottles many months ago as it is important to us to have as minimal impact as possible on the environment of Lord Howe.
