Hi All.
My wife and I spent a very enjoyable time on Flinders Island, getting
used to land birds and walking on land again after our trip across the
Great Australian Bight.
We had all the endemic honeyeaters at our doorstep as well many other
species at our stay at Partridge Farm Retreat.
The birding highlight was the 1,000 plus Banded Stilts on Logan's
Lagoon, only seen because a Peregrine Falcon had put them up. When they
landed again they were well out of sight. Even if I had a telescope I
don't think I could have seen them, such was the expanse of the wetland.
Other birds of interest seen there were Wild Turkeys, Common Pheasants
and the many Cape Barren Geese. We also saw many Chukar Partridges -
free range and unfenced but all bred at the farm. I was informed that
any that wander too widely are taken by feral cats.
A question about Common Pheasants (purely for ticking purposes). The
Parks and Wildlife Service of Tasmania has them as an uncommon
"Introduced non-Australian" species. Pizzey and Knight shows them as
being on King Island while Simpson and Day say on Flinders island as
well, while Morcombe says they are extinct on Flinders Island. I saw two
males, one in bushland, the other near a farm while driving. I also saw
one in a cage on Partridge Farm. The owner said some people on the
island used to keep them.
Would anyone care to comment on their status on Flinders Island?
Happy New Year.
--
John Reidy
Sydney
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