I stayed at the lighthouse keeper's residence at Cape Otway on the
weekend. Cape Otway is in Western Victoria, and the second most southerly
point on the Australian mainland. King Island is about 60-70 nautical
miles to the SE, in Bass Strait. NW Tasmania - King Is. - Cape Otway is a
fairly well known migratory route for trans Bass Strait migrant birds.
There were large numbers of Blue-winged Parrots in the coastal scrub of
Cape Otway, and I also heard lots flying around at night (all heading
East). Is it possible that Tasmanian birds are coming over to the
mainland so early in the year? Any Tasmanian parrot watchers with
comments?
Other birds of note at Cape Otway: an adult White-bellied Sea-Eagle;
Rufous Bristlebird - abundant; Singing Honeyeater - VERY abundant;
White-throated Needletail - hundreds (maybe 700-800) foraging over the
cape for hours before the cool change; Short-tailed Shearwater - 1000s;
Fluttering Shearwater - a few dozen amongst the muttonbirds.
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Lawrie Conole
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
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