TASSIE TRIP REPORT
Having booked for the September Pelagic Trip at Eaglehawk Neck, Geoff
Walker and I decided to add a few days either side to chase the Tasmanian
subspecies. Geoff's research and trip planning skills were up to their
usual high standard.
We spent 8 days on the Island from 15 to 22/9/04.
We saw 124 species including the 12 Endemics and 33 of the 37 subspecies.
The pelagic trip was very productive with sightings of Grey Petrel and
Grey-Headed Albatross being the highlights. Thanks to Chris Lester for
organising this.
Thanks also to Bill Wakefield for his advice on hotspots for some of our
target subspecies.
Details of our sightings are as follows-
ENDEMICS
Tasmanian Native-hen C Peter Murrell Res +++
Green Rosella C Peter Murrell Res +++
Forty-spotted Pardalote UC Peter Murrell Res + Bruny Is
Tasmanian Scrubwren C Duck River, Smithton +++
Scrubtit UC Sandpit Res. Wielangta Forest + Mt
Mangana Track
Tasmanian Thornbill FC South Bruny Is ++
Yellow Wattlebird C Peter Murrell Res +++
Yellow-throated Honeyeater C Freycinet NP ++
Strong-billed Honeyeater UC Mt Mangana Rd, Bruny Is + Duck
River, Smithton
Black-headed Honeyeater C Freycinet NP ++
Dusky Robin C Bruny Is ++
Black Currawong C Derwent Bridge ++
Note - All endemics were seen on Bruny Island
SUBSPECIES
Brown Quail ypsilophora UC S Bruny Is
Lighthouse area
Wedge-tailed Eagle fleayi UC Hellier Gorge Res +
Lewin's Rail brachipus Not Seen
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo xanthanotus UC Cape Queen
Elizabeth Walk, Bruny Is +
Musk Lorikeet didimus UC Hobart Airport +
Pittwater
Eastern Rosella diemenensis UC 3k e Campbell Town (1 pair)
Ground Parrot leachi UC Ocean Beach Rd 0.5k
w of Strahan Airport
Southern Boobook leucopsis C Sandpit Res,
Wielangta Forest Drive
Masked Owl castanops Not Seen
Australian Owlet-nightjar tasmanicus UC Waterworks Res, Hobart
Azure Kingfisher diemenensis Not Seen
Superb Fairy-wren cyaneus C widespread
Southern Emu-wren littleri UC T+T Strahan
Airport Site
Striated Pardalote striatus FC Peter
Murrell Res +
Striated Fieldwren fuliginosus UC Pipeclay Lagoon C
R, e of Clifton Beach
Striated Fieldwren diemenensis UC T+T Strahan Airport
Site
Brown Thornbill diemenensis C widespread
Yellow-rumped Thornbill leachi FC Bruny Is ++
Little Wattlebird tasmanica C Freycinet NP ++
Noisy Miner leachi FC Freycinet NP ++
New Holland Honeyeater canescens C Tasmania
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater chelidonia Not Seen
Eastern Spinebill dubius FC Freycinet NP ++
Scarlet Robin leggi C Freycinet NP ++
Pink Robin rodinogaster C Sandpit Res,
Wielangta Forest Drive +
Spotted Quail-thrush dovei UC Mt Mangana Rd,
Bruny Island
Golden Whistler glaucura C Cape Queen Elizabeth Walk,
Bruny Is +
Grey Shrike-thrush strigata C Freycinet NP ++
Grey Fantail albiscapa C Freycinet NP ++
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike novaehollandiae FC Smithton ++
Grey Butcherbird cinereus FC Ouse ++
Australian Magpie hypoleuca C Hobart
Grey Currawong arguta C Lunawanna, Bruny Is ++
Richard's Pipit bistriatus C Moulting Lagoon
Little Grassbird gramineus UC Lewisham Swamp
Silvereye lateralis UC North end
of Great Bay, Bruny Is
OTHER INTERESTING SIGHTINGS
Hooded Plover Friendly Beaches, Freycinet NP
Long-billed Corella 200 seen 3k e Campbell Town -no distribution shown
in field guides. Local
farmer advised that they have been there for 5 or
6 years and numbers have
been increasing. (Scattered groups of SC
Cockatoos and a flock of
50 galahs also in general area.)
Little Corella 1 pair only 15k e Poatina
Swift Parrot Bruny Is - C Queen Elizabeth Walk + 3k e of ferry.
Also Pipeclay Lagoon
Beautiful Firetail Strahan Airport, T+T Site
The weather was good and bad - 2 days rained nearly all day, 3 days of
patchy rain and wind, 3 days calm
and sunny. The ranger at Strahan said it had rained every day since Anzac
Day except 18 to 21/9/04.
We tried for the Masked Owl at 3 well known sites and each time got no
response. Our conclusion is that
they are unresponsive to tapes and do not call at this time of year. Any
confirmation or otherwise of this
would be appreciated.
I'm going to Tassie again in April '05. If anyone can provide sites for the
Lewins Rail, Azure Kingfisher or
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (Western ssp 'chelidonia') please let me know.
Frank Pierce
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