Mount Lidgbird
| Mount Lidgbird | |
|---|---|
 Mount Lidgbird photographed from the summit of Mount Gower | |
| Elevation | 777 m (2,549 ft) |
| Location | |
| Location | New South Wales, Australia |
| Coordinates | 31°34′S 159°05′E / 31.567°S 159.083°ECoordinates: 31°34′S 159°05′E / 31.567°S 159.083°E |
| Geology | |
| Type | Volcanic |
Mount Lidgbird is located in the southern section of Lord Howe Island, just north of Mount Gower, from which it is separated by the saddle at the head of Erskine Valley, and has its peak at 777 metres (2,549 ft).
Mount Lidgbird is named after the naval officer Captain Henry Lidgbird Ball, who first sighted Lord Howe Island in 1788.[1] He was on his way to Norfolk Island in the ship HMS Supply when he spotted Lord Howe Island. He also named the nearby rock outcrop Ball's Pyramid.[1]
The trek to the 777-metre summit is for expert climbers only. Ropes are needed to scale the cliffs and slippery steep terrain. In comparison Mount Gower is an easy hike. Halfway up the mountain is Goat House Cave, a former shelter for 19th century Kentia palm gatherers. From this spot, visitors can see nesting Masked Boobies and numerous Red-tailed Tropicbirds.[2]
Flora
Cryptocarya forest, one of two types found on the island, the other being palm forest, is found in patches on the slopes of the mountain between elevations of 350 to 600 metres above sea level.[3]
Palm species growing on the mountain include Hedyscepe and Lepidorrhachis.[4]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Quanchi, Max; Robson, John (2005). Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Pacific Islands. Scarecrow Press. p. 10. ISBN 0810865289. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ↑ About Australia Retrieved on 2009-07-12
- ↑ Mueller-Dombois, Dieter (1998). Vegetation of the Tropical Pacific Islands. Springer. p. 173. ISBN 0387983139. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- ↑ Leslie Dowe, John (2010). Australian Palms: Biogeography, Ecology and Systematics. Csiro Publishing. pp. 239, 191. ISBN 0643096159. Retrieved 17 June 2013.