Birding North Of The Sunshine Coast, Australia

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Tara

This last weekend I joined a Birds Queensland weekend camp to Rainbow Beach which is located just north of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. It’s an easy 3 hour drive north of Brisbane. I recommend refueling in Gympie as prices are cheaper there.

We birded 3 main areas each with different specialty birds which I will be going into detail in separate posts. They are marked in red on the map below.

Rainbow Waters Caravan Park (nice variety of birds in the grounds but beware of midges)!
Tin Can Bay Foreshore (good for waders & shore birds)
Noosa Plains ( Ground Parrot area near Cooloola Cove)
Inskip Point (another shore bird area with some forest species)

I chose to join this camp because of the Eastern Ground Parrots. Even though they are difficult to see unless you flush one out, you can still hear them calling at dusk and dawn. Stand by for detailed posts on all these areas with photos!

My Top Thirty Bird Sightings Of 2014

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Tara

Most other years this would be a top ten, but with 3 major birding trips this year I am struggling to make it a top thirty! If you want to see last year’s birds click here. There is no way I could single out one top bird with so many to choose from so they are being presented in chronological order. I haven’t finished blogging the Queensland road trip or the African Adventure so I have to cheat a bit with the photos. They are my photos but just pasted in.

1. Carnaby’s Cockatoo – seen at several places in Western Australia, Feb 2014.

2. Western Rosella – seen at Dryandra and Stirling Range in Western Australia, Feb 2014

3. Purple-crowned Lorikeet – seen near Fitzgerald National Park, Western Australia, Feb 2014

4. Western Bowerbird – seen at Nallan Station, Western Australia, Feb 2014

5. Splendid Fairy-wren – seen at Yanchep, Western Australia, Feb 2014

6. Orange-bellied Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

7. Eastern Ground Parrot – seen at Melaleuca, Tasmania, March 2014

8. Swift Parrot – seen on Bruny Island, Tasmania, March 2014

9. Major Mitchell Cockatoo – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

10. Cockatiels – seen at Bowra Station, QLD, March 2014

11. Satin Bowerbird – seen at Girraween, QLD, March 2014

12. Ultramarine Lorikeet – seen on Ua Huka, Marquesas, French Polynesia, June 2014

13. Rimatara Lorikeet – seen on Rimatara, French Polynesia, June 2014

14. Cape Parrot – seen in King William’s Town and Magoebaskloof, South Africa, Nov 2014

15. Lilac-breasted Roller – seen in Kruger Park, South Africa, Nov 2014

16. Echo Parakeet – seen at Black River Gorges, Mauritius, Nov 2014

17. Vasa Parrots – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

18. Schlegel’s Asity – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

19. Hoopoe – seen at Ankarafantsika, Madagascar, Nov 2014

20. Paradise Flycatcher – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

21. Red Malimbe – seen in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

22. African Grey Parrot – seen (fleeting glimpse) in Kakum National Park, Ghana Nov 2014

Didn’t click fast enough!

23. Senegal Parrot – seen in Shai Hills, Ghana Nov 2014

24. Tacazze Sunbird – seen at Addis Ababa Hilton, Ethiopia, Nov 2014

25. African Red-bellied Parrot – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

26. Cordon Bleu Waxbill – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

27. Meyer’s Parrot (Brown Parrot) – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

28. Red-and-yellow Barbet – seen at Tarangire, Tanzania, Nov 2014

29. Superb Starling – seen all over Tanzania, Nov 2014

30. Lovebirds – seen in Madagascar (Grey-headed), Tarangire (Yellow-collared) and Ndutu (Fischer’s). Just couldn’t choose between them! Nov 2014

These aren’t necessarily the rarest birds but they were birds that made a major impression on me. Maybe for their rarity, maybe for their beauty or maybe for their behaviour! Apologies for not having profiles up on about half the birds but I still have a lot more to blog about!

Lodge Review: Strahan Wilderness Lodge

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Tara

When researching accommodation options in Strahan, all I had to see was this sentence on the Strahan Wilderness Lodge website and I knew I had the right choice!

In the Lodge, you may join old or new friends in the lounge and enjoy breakfast overlooking the gardens and the fishing fleet anchored in Mill Bay; take a stroll to Smugglers Cove or the Harbour View terrace en route maybe catching a glimpse of some of Tasmania’s rarest birds which frequent the grounds.

I emailed them to make sure they were referring to Eastern Ground Parrots and was assured they were indeed!

The location was good, in the bush but near enough the town to drive in for meals.

AAlthough Trip Advisor reviews are mixed, I think the people who weren’t happy here kind of missed the point of staying in a wilderness lodge. The focus is on Tassie charm and the natural environment. I loved it!

Rooms are very reasonably priced, include breakfast and have access to a shared bathroom.

In the end, it’s all about the birds!

Birding In Strahan, Tasmania

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Tara

Strahan, Tasmania is going to be on most serious birder’s itineraries as it is one of the few places in Australia to see Eastern Ground Parrots reliably. It’s actually a cute seaside town with lots of local charm.

We did a car swap in Hobart after leaving Bruny Island since I got a better rate with Thrifty Car Hire via RACQ.

It’s a beautiful drive through the mountains from Hobart to Strahan.

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge which I reviewed here.

Traditional pub accomodation, also good meals can be found here.

Misty sunrise

Flushing a Ground Parrot

A short walk away from the Wilderness Lodge, we saw Emu-wrens and Superb Fairy-wrens.

Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus)

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Tara

The Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) of Australia is one of only three ground-dwelling parrots in Australia, the others being its closest relatives, the Western Ground Parrot (Pezoporus flaviventris) and the extremely rare Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis).

Eastern Ground Parrot photo from Wikipedia

I took these photos in Strahan and Melaleuca. I wasn’t fast enough to get a clear shot.

You will usually have to flush a Ground Parrot to see it. This means walking carefully through the bush where they are known to live and watching for them. When disturbed, a ground parrot flies swiftly just above the ground before dropping back into the vegetation. The presence of the bird is often only revealed by its characteristic dusk and dawn call, a clear whistling sequence of notes which rise in pitch before fading. It is silent in flight. Please do not harass a Ground Parrot. Once you flush one, get your camera ready, walk slowly towards where he landed and he will flush again. Get your photo, then leave the bird alone.

The Ground Parrot is found in scattered populations along the east coast of Australia, from south-east coastal Queensland and in pockets in north-east and southern New South Wales, through to coastal areas of Gippsland in Victoria and the islands of the Bass Strait to its stronghold in Tasmania. The most reliable place to see them is in Strahan either near the old airport or near the Wilderness Lodge.

Blue dots are Strahan & Melaleuca – best places to see Eastern Ground Parrots

LEARN MORE ABOUT EASTERN GROUND PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Tasmania Parks & Wildlife

NSW Environment

Biodiversity Australia

VIDEOS

Unfortunately there aren’t any videos of Eastern Ground Parrots on YouTube where I can embed them here. There are a few short clips filmed at Strahan on IBC but you need to view them over there.

A Surprise Flushing Of Eastern Ground Parrots

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Tara

Our Melaleuca guide had told us to be at the boat dock at a specific time which I can’t remember, around 11am so we reluctantly left the OBPs and headed off down the path leading to the dock. There were some informative signs along the way to tell you about the local birds which is great because most people who do this trip are not as bird crazy as I am! It’s very educational!

As we walked along the raised wooden footpath, all of a sudden an Eastern Ground Parrot flushed and flew about 10 meters away, landing in the tall grass. I grabbed my camera and slowly walked in his direction. He flushed again and I frantically grabbed some shots. They aren’t great shots but at least I got to see him! He went further away and I decided not to follow as I didn’t want to upset him.

We were the first to arrive at the dock so waited for the others while enjoying the scenery. As I watched the others approach, no one else managed to flush a Ground Parrot.

The boat ride took us through spectacular scenery to a small beach where lunch was served.

Even though it was the first day of autumn, it was freezing out there so we were glad we had borrowed jackets from Par Avion. After lunch, the boat took us back to the dock. No more Ground Parrots so we retraced our steps to the OBP hide to spend some more quality time with them before the “normal” tourists showed up.

Our Melaleuca Adventure With Par Avion

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Tara

A day trip to Melaleuca with Par Avion is bound to be the highlight of any birder’s trip to Tasmania! They depart from Cambridge Airport just near the main Hobart Airport HBA early in the morning so you should fly in the day before, preferably on miles. Unfortunately Par Avion does not have a frequent flyer program!

While you wait, check the trees outside the car park for Musk Lorikeets.

Par Avion has several small aircraft and you will be assigned a pilot (who doubles as a giude) and a plane. Expect several planes to make the trip depending on bookings.

On the way out, our pilot Sam pointed out the landmarks below. Fish farms

One by one all the planes landed at Melaleuca and we were gathered in a small hut for orientation.

Ina & I with our plane

Preparing for the flight back

I am going to do more detailed blogs about the visit to the Orange-bellied Parrots and other sights in Melalueca and just post photos pertaining to the planes and flights here.

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