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Tasmanian adventure

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Subject: Tasmanian adventure
From: "Greg Oakley" <>
Date: Mon, 25 Aug 2003 12:57:43 +1000
Hi everyone,

Just back from a 2 week trip to Tassie (mostly non-birding) and managed to see all the endemics except for Scrubtit (despite a fair bit of searching in cold, dark rainforest at Ferntree!).

Great to get Forty-spotted Pardalote (at the well-documented Peter Murrell Reserve near Hobart) - I was there for over an hour and only saw one amongst many Striated Pardalotes.

Some interesting observations - some birds which we in Victoria think of as a good sighting are everywhere in Tassie (Olive Whistler - many at Bicheno, Pink Robins - at 2 locations, Crescent Honeyeaters - very common in Hobart, Flame/Scarlet Robins - very common everywhere).

Some of the more bizarre birding I have ever done was at Cradle Mountain, where it snowed continuously for at least 24 hours. Watching Strong-billed, Black-headed and Yellow-throated Honeyeaters forage in snow-laden eucalypts was quite a sight!

On the mammal front, Tassie is a gem - managed to see a Tassie Devil, Eastern Quoll, Long-nosed Potoroo, many Common Wombats and Short-beaked Echidnas, Red-necked Wallabies, Tasmanian Pademelons and very dark coloured Brush-tailed Possums. Unfortunately dipped on Platypus, Spot-tailed Quoll and Southern Bettong.

Overall a fantastic trip in a beautiful place (especially Cradle Mountain area - breathtaking scenery) and managed about 85 spp and 10 mammal spp.

Major dissappointment, however, was the unbelievable number of fully-laden logging trucks (many with very old trees) - just a constant procession in the high country (did anyone see the Sunday program yesterday re: the logging industry's political stronghold in Tasmania?) Frightening....

Cheers,
Greg

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