Relax, take a break from the shopping frenzy and see what kind of birder you are with this fun quiz. It only takes 5 minutes!
My results were spot on!
Author Archives: Tara
There’s Still A Lot To Be Thankful For
This has been a rough year in many ways. Several species are even more endangered than they already were due to bushfires. We still don’t know how many Western Ground Parrots survived the Esperance bushfires. But we can at least be thankful that there are some in a breeding program so the species won’t be lost altogether. Logging has been temporarily stopped on Bruny Island but we need it to permanently stop so Swift Parrots can continue to nest there. We are still hoping and praying that more Orange-bellied Parrots show up at Melaleuca for breeding.
The miles and points game (aka The Hobby) also took a major beating with huge devaluations by Club Carlson & American Airlines and the potential loss of the SPG to airline transfer which will make airlines tickets much more difficult to get for free using normal household spending.
At the traditional time when Americans count their blessings (a tradition that really needs to be world wide), let’s remind ourselves of what we can be thankful for.
- I am thankful that I have the opportunity to travel and see the world. If miles and points went away tomorrow and I couldn’t travel any more then I have still had an amazing run!
- I am thankful that there are beautiful nature reserves all over the world that protect so many endangered and not-endangered species. Please get out there and see them!
- I am thankful that there are birds in the world whose beauty enchants us and charm delights us. Protect them and treasure them!
- I am thankful that there are organizations such as the World Parrot Trust, Birdlife and many others who have research biologists out there trying to save endangered parrots so we don’t lose them from the planet. Help them as best you can.
- I am thankful for the local people who gave up poaching wild birds and are now working as guides and other occupations because of ecotourism and that they are able to share their local wildlife with us. Support them by employing them when you visit their localities.
- I am thankful for the social media that allows us to be more aware and informed and teaches us to respect, cherish and protect nature. Share, share, share!
- Wild turkeys in Australia are probably thankful that Thanksgiving ISN’T an Australian holiday! This is as close as they get to being on one of our tables!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!
Restaurant Review: The Polish Place, Tamborine, Queensland
I don’t often do restaurant reviews but the Polish Place in Tamborine, Queensland does also offer accommodation which I hope to try someday. It’s kind of a surreal experience. If you hadn’t just driven up from Brisbane or down from Lamington you could believe that you were in a quaint little Polish village in Europe. Not even the hot, tropical Queensland climate interferes as you are high up enough for a pleasant, cool breeze.
Whether you are staying in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, The Polish Place is just a short drive away. We drove down from O’Reilly’s in time to have lunch here. There’s plenty of birding in the area at Tamborine National Park.
The gift shop is straight out of Poland with some beautiful arts and crafts. I loved the doll collection!
The waitresses wear traditional Polish costumes.
The best seating is outside on the deck overlooking a spectacular view over teh Dividing Range.
My photos of the menu didn’t come out well but you can see more about the cuisine here. My pierogi were delicious and it was all I could do to finish the iced coffee before I was mobbed by Rainbow Lorikeets!
This was the most fun I have had at a restaurant in ages! The brilliant lorikeets put on a great show every time someone gets up from their meal to leave, hoping to steal the leftovers before the waitress can get to it.
The cheeky little devils were all over my iced coffee. I had to hide it under the table while I drank it as it really isn’t good for them. I then put some water in the glass to dilute the leftovers. They were undeterred and still tried to lick the glass clean! Don’t worry, they didn’t get much – I took my photos quickly and gave the glass to the waitress! Next time I’ll order some orange juice for them – unsweetened.
Great Holiday Gift For Birders & Eco-Tourists
Are you looking for the perfect Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/Eid gift for the budget/eco-tourist in your life? Or something to hint for to your loved ones? Here’s the perfect idea!
During our trip around Africa, the use of Scottevests was essential to allowing us to stick to carry-on bags only. It wasn’t the size of the bags, it was the weight. Most birders have lots of heavy camera gear and bird field guides. At several airports, they weighed our carry-ons and we would have been forced to check some bags if we didn’t have the Scottevests to stuff the heavy stuff into! If you are traveling to hot climates, I recommend the Featherweight Vest. It is available in men’s and women’s sizes and comes in cement & cadet blue. The cement is a better choice for birding.
Those afternoon tropical rains won’t be a problem as it is even waterproof – watch Scott in the video below as he demonstrates the features.
Always check out the daily sale tab at the top, they have a different item on sale each day!
If you use my link, I will get a small commission for which I thank you. I wouldn’t recommend these products if I didn’t use them myself and were very happy with them.
Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis)
The Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis) is an Australasian robin of coastal and sub-coastal eastern Australia.
They are readily seen in a wide range of habitats: heaths, mallee, acacia scrub, woodlands and sclerophyll forests, but is most often found in damper places or near water within a large range across Eastern Australia. The rainforest canopy walkway at O’Reilly’s is a great place to find them close enough to photograph.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EASTERN YELLOW ROBINS
VIDEOS
What a beautiful song!
And they like to stay clean too!
Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis)
The Australian King Parrot (Alisterus scapularis) is endemic to eastern Australia found in humid and heavily forested upland regions of the eastern portion of the continent, including eucalyptus wooded areas in and directly adjacent to subtropical and temperate rainforest. They feed on fruits and seeds gathered from trees or on the ground.
The male has a bright red head and breast wheras the female is mostly green. Although this female has a leg band, she is actually one of the wild parrots that hang around O’Reilly’s for a free meal.
King Parrots are easily found within their range as the males are very bright and conspicuous and the females stay close to their mates. You are pretty much guaranteed to see them at O’Reilly’s and the small cafe near Jolly’s Lookout near Brisbane.
LEARN MORE ABOUT AUSTRALIAN KING PARROTS
VIDEOS
There’s no shortage of King Parrot videos online. This one is good for the close ups of the birds foraging and you can clearly see the difference between the male and female.
This little guy from the Blue Mountains in NSW has no trouble with accepting hand outs (literally)!
And here is a whole flock (mostly juveniles) that visit someone’s back yard. Notice the pleasant sound they make!
O’Reilly’s, Lamington Park
O’Reilly’s is a great place to practice your bird photography skills as you can see several species very close and they are predictable. If you start early, you can make this a day trip from Brisbane with a 2.5 hour drive. It’s not really far but the road to the top of the mountain is very twisty. Exact directions are on their website. They also have some lovely eco-villas overlooking the rainforest and some good deals can be found mid-week outside of school holidays. Every year, they have a Bird Week in November.
Bird feeding is touristy but fun. The area is open daily from 10:00am – 4:00pm (weather dependent) and costs $4.00 per tray (suits 2 people). Get up close and personal with some of Lamington’s iconic birds, such as King Parrots, Crimson Rosellas, or you might be lucky enough to see our ‘mascot’, the Regent Bowerbird.
I’ve been there a few times, usually to take friends up or to practice photography. Here’s a few scenes from the bird feeding. They gather in the trees and come down when someone offers a tray of seed or drops seed on the ground.
They also have a canopy walkway in the rainforest – get here early enough and you can have it all to yourself before the tourists arrive!
They have a nice gift shop and restaurant with seats overlooking the spectacular view. You can also see birds out here. There are signs telling you not to feed the birds but the birds have discovered that sometimes they can beat the waiters to the leftovers before the scraps can be cleaned up.
Another Tambopata Adventure
Reply
I found this trip report of another blogger who has been to Tambopata more recently than I have. Just thought I would share!
If you want to go, I have lots of information here to help you get started.
Tambopata Research Centre
Echo Offers Parrot Conservation Tours On Bonaire
Bonaire is not one of the more common ports offered on Caribbean cruises but it’s well worth the effort. Echo Bonaire has several tour options. If you are in Bonaire on a land based visit, try their weekly tour.
Tours take place at Echo’s Conservation Centre, Kunuku Dos Pos, a 30-minute drive from Kralendijk town centre, every Wednesday afternoon at 4.30 p.m. No booking is necessary. Groups meet at the windmill on Dos Pos. Led by a guide, the tours are friendly, interactive, and fun and last from one hour to an hour and a half, depending on how many questions there are.
If you are on a cruise ship, then you need a private tour arranged well in advance as their internet availability is sporadic.
Private tours are also available! We recommend early in the morning at 7.30 a.m., when the birds are most active and likely to be seen, or in the afternoon at 4.30 p.m. if you’re looking for a great way to wind down your day.
Private tours are $25 per person for a minimum of two people.
See the highly endangered Yellow-shouldered Parrot and help a worthy cause at the same time!
Single Worst Devaluation: Australia – Sri Lanka……& What You Can Do About It
One thing that seems to have escaped most other travel/miles/points bloggers regarding the American Airlines devaluation is that Sri Lanka has shifted to the Middle East/Subcontinent category as of 22 March 2016. Although redemptions from the USA to this region and the Asia 2 region are now equal in cost, there is a HUGE difference for Australians!
Previously it had been in the Asia 2 category which made the beautiful eco-tourism destination of Sri Lanka a much cheaper award with AA miles – 25k in economy and 35k in business increasing a mere 5k to 30k economy and 40k business. Look at it now – a whopping 42.5k in economy and 80k in business class! It’s more than doubled in cost!
Sri Lanka has some of the best birding in the world, see my reports on Kithulgala and Sinharaja. So what can we do to get there at a more reasonable rate?
United Airlines is now a better option than American. Most Aussies will fly via BKK on Thai as Singapore rarely releases J seats for partner awards. However most Australians can’t get United miles unless they buy them during a “buy miles promo”.
60k miles would cost me $1050 USD, that’s $1488 AUD at today’s rate! Ouch!
So what about Singapore Airlines? Most Aussies can earn them easily enough from credit cards. It’s still going to cost over 60k miles & fuel surcharge of $472 AUD in business class. Better than both options so far!
But can we do better and still get to Sri Lanka in a lie flat bed? Enter Air Asia. Better known as a low cost carrier, they still provide pretty good service. We flew them in Y last year from Surat Thani to Kuala Lumpur. Check out the prices from the Gold Coast (nearest airport to Brisbane they serve) to Sri Lanka. Economy is dirt cheap and premium flatbed is still excellent value!
You don’t have to spend miles and you are only paying $371 AUD more to travel in a lie flat bed. So it all comes down to whether you would rather save 61,000 SQ miles (or use your credit card points elsewhere that doesn’t have fuel surcharges) or would you rather spend an extra $371 AUD for this?
BOTTOM LINE
If you want to go to Sri Lanka on American Airlines miles, book it before 22 March 2016!! Otherwise, I think it’s time to get better acquainted with Air Asia!