I was in Hobart for the long weekend, and visited a site that has Forty spotted
Pardalotes and is very close to Hobart. Whilst the place has been known to
birders for a few years I don't think it has ever been mentioned on birding-aus
and isn't in any of the major site guides so I thought it worth posting details.
It is called the Peter Murrell Nature Reserve and is at Huntingfield, just
south of Hobart. To get there take the Southern Outlet from Hobart, following
the signs to Blackmans Bay when you get to the end. Continue onwards until you
get to the Australian Antarctic Division offices. Just afterwards you get to a
roundabout (where traffic to Blackmans Bay goes left). Go straight on and turn
left about fifty metres after the roundabout. Continue along that road for, I
guess, almost a kilometre until you come to the very large Vodafone building.
Immediately after that you will see a sign to the reserve. Turn left onto the
dirt track and drive 200m to the end.
I visited briefly in the middle of an overcast day and lots of birds were
present. As I drove there I could see two Wedge tailed Eagles circling in the
distance. Shortly after getting out of the car I heard a squawk in a tree
nearby and saw a Brown Falcon fly out. After it disappeared I turned my
attention to what had made it fly and found a white phase Grey Goshawk was
sitting there. I had a great look at it before it flew off, chased by Forest
Ravens.
Within five minutes of getting out of the car I could hear Forty spots calling.
I soon tracked them down to the large eucalypts in the paddock between the
waterhole and the road. The birds were feeding at eye level and could be seen
very well. There were probably about six calling. I later hear them calling
in the trees around the waterhole as well.
Other Tasmanian endemics seen there were Tasmanian Native Hen, Yellow
Wattlebird, Yellow throated Honeyeater and Black headed Honeyeater. Dusky
Robins are apparently seen there too, though I did not record any. It would
therefore be possible to see all the Tasmanian endemics by visiting just this
site and Fern Tree.
Murray Lord
Sydney
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