Tasmanian Trip Report 27/06 - 03/07

["Michael Ramsey" <>]

Hi all,

 

I have just spent a great week in Tasmania, mixing birding with visits to the many sites and attractions around the state. My aim was to see all 12 endemics, though being in the depth of winter, with unpredictable weather and short days, I was not too confident.  

 

Day 1

Flew into Launceston from Melbourne. Visited Cataract Gorge where the first endemic species was seen, Tasmainian Scrubwren, which proved to be common on the trip. Around 10 Indian Peafowls also patrolled this area, harrassing picnickers for their lunches. The trip continued to the fantastic Tamar Island Wetlands centre, just north of Launceston. The centre has almost a kilometre of boardwalks that winds in way along the river edge and through reeds. The staff were very helpful as well. Here the second endemic was sighted, the Tasmanian Native-hen as well as many waterbirds such as both teal species, many Black Swans, Black-fronted, Red-capped and Double-banded Plovers. An overwintering Common Greenshank was a highlight as well as a Little Grassbird and Striated Fieldwren in the reeds and saltmarsh.

 

Day 2

This day was a shocker  to begin with. Gale force winds buffeted the north coast of Tasssie and it was pouring rain. Never the less I was underterred and from the lighthouse at Devonport spotted a Black-browed Albatross in Bass Strait as well as many Black-faced Cormorants along the coast. The third endemic, a Yellow Wattlebird was seen in town.Moving inland to get away from the wind (but not the rain) a cape Barren Goose was seen grazing in paddocks near Gunns Plainsand the fourth and fifth endemics, Green Rosella and Yellow-throated Honeyeater were sighted at Preston Falls. At Table Cape a Shy Albatross was spotted off the coast. Remarakably the weather changed for the better so the climb up the Nut at Stanley was great. Here a Peregrine falcon was seen, as well as a pair of Nankeen Kestrels and Sooty Oystercachers.

 

Day 3

This day was a drive from Wynyard to Strahan and the weather was somewhat better today. At Hellyer Gorge a Scrubtit and Tasmainian Thornbill were seen, bringing the endemic total to 7, I was starting to get confident Into Strahan the eighth endemic was spotted, a Black Currawong, which from then on was seen everywhere on the trip. Also around Strahan an Olive Whistler was seen, a large group of Cattle Egrets and near the airport, the ninth endemic a Dusky Robin. 

 

Day 4

A fantastic cruise around Macquarie Harbour and the Lower Gordon River took up the most of this day. The weather had turned bad again and gale force winds and rain had been consistent during the previous night causing flooding and a landslide in town. In the harbour I was shocked to see a Fairy Prion and then a few more, perhaps sheltering from the strong winds. Near Hells Gates the remains of a Sperm Whale were washed up on shore (from a beaching two weeks ago, one whale was stranded on a sand bank but freed by locals) and a Cape Petrel was picking remains of the whale from the water. The real shocker was to come though. Heading out of the Gordon River in the harbour a Sooty Albatross was seen on the water. It did not look very well at all and had its head and one wing dropped down, it looked very weak. A White-bellied Sea-eagle was circling overhead. It swooped down and attacked the&n! bsp;albatross, perhaps injuring it more. Then tried again picked up the albatross and flew off over a hill. Amazing. I can only speculate that the albatross was weak or injured because of the recent storms and came into the harbour to shelter and became the se-eagles prey.

 

Day 5

After a long and wet drive to Hobart I had only three more endemics to see. The weather was better and so I headed of down the Huon Valley. At Huonville when stopping for lunch a Grey Goshawk (white morph) was circling over town, fantastic. A pair of feral Long-billed Corellas was also seen here. In search of the Forty-spotted Pardalote I went to the Peter Murrell Conservation area just south of Kingston. Here I quickly saw Black-headed and Strong-billed Honeyeaters (tenth and eleventh endemics). Two Beautiful Firetails were seen in thick understorey. After trudging tthrough the reserve a came across a great stand of large White (Tas name) or Manna Gums. A few pardalots were feeding on lerp in the upper canopy, I was dissapointed to fin them to be Spotted Pardalotes. I continued to search and found three Forty-spotted Pardalotes, observed them for a minute to check for ID before a group of Back-h! eaded Honeyeaters chased them away. To see the Forty-spots travel up the track to the right from the car park to the top of the hill, turn left and go down the hill into a gully. Here you will see a stand of Manna Gumm, look for the birds here.  I was thrilled to see the pardalote and all 12 endemic species, and I still had 2 days left in Tassie. A trip just south to Tinderbox also revealed another Fort-spot.

 

Day 6

A more relaxed day with some indluging of chocolate from the Cadbury factory. On the way I stopped at a few spots along the Derwent and found many Kelp Gulls, some Great Crested Grebes and plenty of Mallards. I also thought I had seen some Balck Ducks until I saw their blue speculum and white edges to some feathers, Mallard/Black Duck hybrids. Many Pied Oystercatchers were also seen probing around in wet grass. A trip up the Mt Wellington revealed a female Pink Robin.

 

Day 7

A trip down to the Tasman Penisula revealed some great birds. A stop at Orielton Lagoon near Sorell was dominted by singing Skylarks. Two overwintering Red-necked Stints were seen with many Red-capped Plovers.  At Eaglehawk neck a Yellow-nosed Albatross was seen close to the coast. A visit to a wildlife park at Taranna was a great way to end the holiday, watching a bird of prey show in which injured birds are rehabilitated.

 

Reflections

I found all the endemicss in Tassie quite easliy. The winter weather sonmetimes hampered birding but it was always interesting and the seabirds I did see may have been as a consequence of this weather. The two most common birds on the trip were probably the Masked Lapwing and Common Starling. Every wet paddock seemed to have a resident flock of lapwings, Starlings were everywhere except the west. Introduced birds seem to be abundant in Tassie. Feral Geese were also seen in many places, in some places breeding. Will these population be added to the Australian list as Greylag Goose one day. I found the Field Guide to Tasmanian Birds by Dave Watts a useful resource for locating birds. Parks and Wildlife were also very helpful, especially in locating the Forty-spotted Pardalote. Regrets, I would have like to spend more time around Strahan to spot or hear the Ground&! nbsp;Parrot or Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. The day I did go out to the airport was horrible with strong winds. Next trip to Tassie will be in summer with hopefully some different birds. Bird list is below, total for the week was 104.

 

Michael Ramsey, Whittlesea, Victoria.

 

* = Endemic

 

Indian Peafowl

Black Swan

Australian Shelduck

Australian Wood Duck

Mallard

Pacific Black Duck

Australasian Shoveler

Grey Teal

Chestnut Teal

Hardhead

Australasian Grebe

Hoary-headed Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Cape Petrel

Fairy Prion

Black-browed Albatross

Shy Albatross

Yellow-nosed Albatross

Sooty Albatross

Australasian Gannet

Little Pied Cormorant

Little Black Cormorant

Great Cormorant

Black-faced Cormorant

Australian Pelican

White-faced Heron

Great Egret

Cattle Egret

White-bellied Sea-eagle

Swamp Harrier

Grey Goshawk

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Brown Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Nankeen Kestrel

Purple Swamphen

Tasmanian Native-hen*

Eurasian Coot

Common Greenshank

Red-necked Stint

Pied Oystercatcher

Sooty Oystercatcher

Red-capped Plover

Double-banded Plover

Black-fronted Dotterel

Masked Lapwing

Pacific Gull

Kelp Gull

Silver Gull

Crested Tern

Rock Dove

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

Galah

Long-billed Corella   

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Musk Lorikeet

Green Rosella*

Eastern Rosella

Laughing Kookaburra

Superb Fairy-wren

Spotted Pardalote

Forty-spotted Pardalote*

Striated Pardalote

Tasmanian Scrubwren*

Scrubtit*

Striated Fieldwren

Brown Thornbill

Tasmanian Thornbil*l

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Yellow Wattlebird*

Little Wattlebird

Noisy Miner

Yellow-throated Honeyeater*

Strong-billed Honeyeater*

Black-headed Honeyeater*

Crescent Honeyeater

New Holland Honeyeater

Eastern Spinebill

White-fronted Chat

Scarlet Robin

Pink Robin

Dusky Robin*

Olive Whistler

Golden Whistler

Grey Shrike-thrush

Grey Fantail

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Grey Butcherbird

Australian Magpie

Black Currawong*

Grey Currawong

Forest Raven

Skylark

Richard's Pipit

House Sparrow

Beautiful Firetail

European Greenfinch

European Goldfinch

Welcome Swallow

Little Grassbird

Silvereye

Common Blackbird

Common Starling

 

 

  

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