Tag Archives: Tasmania

Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor)

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The Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) breeds in Tasmania and migrates north to south eastern Australia from Griffith-Warialda in New South Wales and west to Adelaide in the winter. It is related to the rosellas, with the feeding habits of a lorikeet. It is the only member in the genus Lathamus.  The Swift Parrot is endangered with only about 1000 pairs remaining in the wild, and its population is declining.  They do live up to their name and were too swift for me to get a good shot on Bruny Island so I have to use the Wikipedia photo.

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Here are my feeble attempts.

IMG_7746a IMG_7739a IMG_7770aSwift Parrots have a large range during the non-breeding season as they migrate to the south and east coast of mainland Australia.  Many lucky Tasmanians have Swift Parrots coming into their backyards.  It is much easier to see them on Bruny Island in Tasmania where they breed and are easier to find.  Captain Cook Caravan Park in Adventure Bay has Swifties coming into the trees on their grounds.  Look for them on flowering gum trees.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT SWIFT PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

Tasmania Parks & Wildlife

 

VIDEO

Here’s an excellent mini-doco from NSW National Parks.

Highlights Of Bruny Island

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Once you’ve arrived on Bruny Island by ferry, you will drive off and head down the main road.  If you are here for birding, you will probably be staying at either Inala or Captain Cook’s depending on your budget so you need to head south.  In this post I will cover the tourist attractions and in the next post I will show you where we saw most of the birds.

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Just after leaving the ferry we saw this billboard about conserving the Swift Parrot.

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First stop was the Bruny Island Smokehouse.  They sell various meats and sauces.  You can start building your artisan food picnic here.IMG_7462

There was some pretty amazing scenery on the drive south.  There are a couple other places to add to a Bruny Island style picnic – Get Shucked Oysters and Bruny Island Premium Wines.IMG_7463

Since I am fond of cheese, I wasn’t about to pass by the Bruny Island Cheese Co!  Free cheese tasting!IMG_7476 IMG_7478 IMG_7479

I love how they have these educational boards about the Swift Parrots!IMG_7475

Just as you enter the narrow stretch of land you will see the entrance to the Penguin Rookery.  Take note as you will want to come back here at night.IMG_7562

What would a picnic be without some sweet treats?  The Bruny Island Berry Farm has some delicious jams, cakes and other goodies!  Since this is the last stop for food gathering before Adventure Bay, you may want to use their picnic area.IMG_7565 IMG_7567

As we came into Adventure Bay, we saw this traditional looking church.IMG_7570

Further down is the Bay of History and the Bligh Museum.  We got there too late so didn’t get to go inside………………birding will do that to you!IMG_7645 IMG_7650

Destination: Bruny Island, Tasmania

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Bruny Island is one of Australia‘s top birding destinations but it is also a destination that can appeal to anyone birder or not.  If you are planning a trip to Tasmania, I highly recommend a visit here.  Bruny Island is easily reached by car + ferry from the mainland.  When choosing a rental car, you need to make sure that the company allows its cars to go to Bruny and also that the cars are covered by insurance if you take them on the ferry.  We used Bargain Car Rentals who cater to people wanting to visit Bruny Island.  Oddly enough, Thrifty seems to encourage people to take their cars to Bruny but when you read the T&Cs it says that the cars are not covered on ferries.  Watch out for “Gotchas” like this.

Gotcha!

GETTING TO BRUNY ISLAND

It’s about an hour’s drive to Kettering, then you board the Bruny Island Ferry.  The two most interesting spots for birding are represented by the blue dots.  The one on the narrow strip is where the Penguin Rookery is.  The other one is at Adventure Bay where the Captain Cook Caravan Park and best place to see Swift Parrots is.

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Ferries go roughly every 60-90 minutes.

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Return fares for a tourist are $30 off-peak, $35 peak and you must have cash only.

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THE EXPERIENCE

Loading the cars on the ferry is very well organized, staff will direct you into lanes and motion you forward when its your turn. You can get out and walk around during the 20 minute journey and enjoy the scenery.  Here are some pics from my trip.

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Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus)

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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.

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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

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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!

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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.IMG_7340 IMG_7340a IMG_7341 IMG_7341a IMG_7342a

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.IMG_7346

The boat ride took us through spectacular scenery to a small beach where lunch was served.  IMG_7348 IMG_7352 IMG_7353

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.IMG_7360 IMG_7362 IMG_7363 IMG_7364 IMG_7365 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.

 

Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella)

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Don’t call them vain, they didn’t ask to be called Beautiful Firetails……………..even though they are!

IMG_7245aThe beautiful firetail (Stagonopleura bella) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Australia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,000,000 km2. The species inhabits temperate shrubland habitats in Australia.  The ones in the photos were seen in Melaleuca sharing the Orange-bellied Parrots’ food. IMG_7234 IMG_7248 IMG_7272aThe beautiful firetail is endemic in Southeastern Australia. Its distribution range extends from Newcastle to Kangaroo Island, however, the bird is most prolific in Tasmania and off-shore islands. It lives in coastal heathland, forests and shrubbery, never far from water. Its preference for near water habitats was shown in a study of its occurrence in intact forest areas of the Victorian Central Highlands, where it was almost exclusively found in riparian habitat.  Doing the Melaleuca trip with Par Avion is a great way to see them.

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LEARN MORE ABOUT BEAUTIFUL FIRETAILS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

Australian Finches

Tasmanian Parks & Wildlife

VIDEO

Mike Grant has some stunning up close footage of Beautiful Firetails on YouTube.

A Magical Encounter With Orange-bellied Parrots

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Melaleuca is by far the easiest place to see these critically endangered little parrots.  Orange-bellied Parrots (OBPs) are still fewer than 50 in the wild.  Last year, some captive bred OBPs were released at Melaleuca in hopes that they would breed and they did!  We are now eagerly awaiting more news when the OBPs start returning to Melaueca in the spring.  For more updates, follow Save the Orange-bellied Parrot on Facebook.

When you take the Par Avion trip, most people will take off on a nature hike with their pilot/guide.  We wanted to spend as much time as possible with the OBPs so our guide showed us to the path leading to the bird hide.

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It’s a pretty small hide so we had to take turns going inside. IMG_7388

I gasped in delight as some OBPs were already there feeding alongside some Beautiful Firetails.  The two species seemed to get along just fine either feeding side by side or taking turns.IMG_7234 IMG_7248

While we were waiting our turn to go in the hide, we stood on a small hill behind the hide and watched the OBPs and some other birds waiting their turn for the food.IMG_7262a IMG_7277 IMG_7281

One of this year’s young.  This little guy and his siblings will make a long flight in a few weeks to Victoria even though they are only a few months old!  They just seemed so fragile to me, I can’t believe they actually survive such a long flight over water!IMG_7282a IMG_7288 IMG_7285a

Was he waving at the Beautiful Firetail?IMG_7245a IMG_7273a

All the birds are banded, you can see the orange leg ring on this one.  The rings allow researchers to keep track of them here and on the mainland.IMG_7292a IMG_7298a

Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster)

Orange-bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster)

Orange-bellied Parrots eating

Orange-bellied Parrots eating

You can tell the adults as their orange belly is much brighter.  The youngsters won’t have the colours until their first moult.

IMG_7315a IMG_7318a IMG_7321 IMG_7326a IMG_7373 IMG_7376a IMG_7382a IMG_7384a IMG_7390 IMG_7392We made two visits to the OBP hide, before and after lunch.  We did have to be polite and let everyone in the hide but fortunately only about 7 or 8 people were really spending a lot of time with these birds so we had plenty of time.  When we left, we felt so privileged to have met these delicate but brave little birds.  In a couple months, they will start returning to Melaleuca, I hope they all have a safe journey and the 2014 breeding season is even more successful!

 

Our Melaleuca Adventure With Par Avion

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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!

IMG_7189While you wait, check the trees outside the car park for Musk Lorikeets.

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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.IMG_7205

On the way out, our pilot Sam pointed out the landmarks below.IMG_7207 IMG_7211 Fish farms IMG_7217

One by one all the planes landed at Melaleuca and we were gathered in a small hut for orientation.  IMG_7229a IMG_7333 IMG_7334 IMG_7335 IMG_7337 IMG_7400

Ina & I with our planeIMG_7406

Preparing for the flight backIMG_7409 IMG_7416 IMG_7418 IMG_7419

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.IMG_7426

Hotel Review: Travelodge Hotel Hobart Airport

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If you have a Melalueca day trip booked to see the Orange-bellied Parrots, the Travelodge Hotel Hobart Airport is the closest hotel to the airfield.  If you arrive before 6pm, you can use the free shuttle from Hobart Airport to the hotel, otherwise you would have to get a taxi or independent shuttle for the short drive.  The hotel shuttle will also drop you at the Cambridge Airport in the morning for your Par Avion trip.

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The rooms are fine, nothing anyone would get excited about but clean and comfortable.  You only get 30 minutes free internet included with the room. IMG_7124 IMG_7125

For people on a budget, there is a petrol station with a Subway inside with all the usual sandwich options just opposite the hotel.IMG_7180

In the large grassy area between the caravan park and the hotel you can enjoy the antics of Galahs, Eastern Rosellas, Cockatoos and several other birds!IMG_7103a IMG_7151 IMG_7148a IMG_7182 IMG_7186 IMG_7184 IMG_7129a IMG_7132a IMG_7135 IMG_7138a IMG_7146 IMG_7146a IMG_7160a IMG_7165a IMG_7171a IMG_7174a IMG_7140a IMG_7143a IMG_7166a

Planning A Birding Trip To Tasmania

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With Tasmania’s wealth of natural beauty and wise variety of bird species you really have to spend some time doing research to make sure you visit places you are likely to see your target birds.  Since my main interest was parrots, I worked out the best places to see them.  Tasmania has 10 parrot species:

This is my final route.

Birding Tasmania

Hobart has many parrot species – Eastern Rosellas, Swift parrots, Musk Lorikeets, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Blue-winged Parrots, Galahs.

Melaleuca is accessable by flight from Hobart to see Orange-bellied Parrots & Eastern Ground Parrots if you are lucky.

Bruny Island is known for Swift Parrots, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos & Green Rosellas.

Strahan is supposed to be the easiest place to see Eastern Ground Parrots.

Cradle Mountain has Blue-winged Parrots.

Freycinet has Green Rosellas, Blue-winged Parrots, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and Musk Lorikeets.

Complete list of birds found in Tasmania

Over the next few weeks, I will take you on a journey as I discover many beautiful Tasmanian birds.