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Tasmanian Non-Endemics

To:
Subject: Tasmanian Non-Endemics
From: John Tongue <>
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:27:47 +1000
Hi Max, et al
There is a reasonable chance for most of these.

Ground Parrot is supposed to be good around Strahan Airfield, though we have 
had best success (both with seeing them, and sending others to see them) at 
Dempster Lookout, just off the South Arthur Forest Drive, near Arthur river.  
It's just a little way south along Sumac Road, from the Forest Drive Loop road. 
 We have flushed them on the track from the parking area up to the lookout.  
Most button grass plains areas should be likely for them.

Blue-winged Parrot can turn up almost anywhere.  We've had them along the fire 
trial which heads towards the coast, just to the north of Arthur River, in 
faming land around Deloraine, in woodland in the Meehan Range Conservation area 
between Hobart and the Airport, and in paddocks near Cambridge Airfield.  Hard 
to give a "regular" spot, as they just seem to turn up in all sorts of places.

Fairy Tern are not very common, but around St. Helens could be a possibility, 
as well as in the far NW.  Best spots we've had them are on the Orford spit, 
just at the mouth of the Prosser River, and at the mouth of Little Swanport, on 
the east Coast.  The parking area and boat launching ramp at the end of 
Saltworks Rd lets you look across the mouth of the river to the sandspit on the 
other side, which is a good spot for them.

Olive Whistler is pretty common in most denser forests.  Listen for their 
single note whistle - fairly easy to call them in by giving a single note 
whistle yourself.

Pink Robins should be pretty common in many of the same areas as Olive Whistler.

Fernglade near Burnie can be good for both these.  Also, the Dove Lake Circuit, 
Forests on Mt Wellington and South Bruny Island.

And Masked Owl...... (good luck!).  Can SOMETIMES spot one while driving at 
night.  Best bet is to find a current roost - which I don't know any current 
ones.  Our most recent, which was  a few years ago now, was along the Truganini 
Track, between Sandy Bay and Taroona.  The track runs from the main road up to 
Mt Nelson.  About 1 km along, the track comes hard down into the bed of the 
creek, and there was an old metal post in the ground - not sure if it's still 
there.  An owl used to roost in trees around there, and up to 30 or 40 m back 
downstream.  As I say, it was some years ago, but I've heard of it being there 
a few times a few years apart, so worth checking.  We've also had Beautiful 
Firetail in the woodland on the way in too here.

Happy searching!!
John Tongue
Ulverstone, Tas.



On 17/12/2010, at 8:43 AM,  wrote:

>
>
> Hey all,
>
> This coming Sunday the family and I will drive down to Melbourne from Sydney 
> and
> catch the ferry over to Devonport. From Devonport we head west to Temma (nr 
> Arthur
> River), back over to Cradle Mountain, across to Launceston and then St 
> Helens. Down
> to Coles Bay and down again to Port Arthur, through Hobart to Bruny Island, 
> back to
> Hobart across to Strahan and then up to Devonport for the departing ferry. We 
> will
> be in Tassie from the 20th Dec to the 3rd Jan.
>
> I have done extensive trawling through the archives and other birding sites 
> for
> information, especially on the 12 endemics. However, my mainland list still 
> lacks a
> few birds which are deemed reasonably easy to find in Tas, I was hoping 
> someone
> could assist on providing info/sites for the following species:
>
> Ground Parrot
> Blue-winged Parrot
> Fairy Tern
> Olive Whistler
> Pink Robin
> Masked Owl
>
> Cheers,
>
> Max Breckenridge,
> Gladesville, Sydney...
> ==============================
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