Dungeness Birding: Australia Tasmania

Australia

Tasmania 29th Oct 29th to 7th Nov with Inala Nature Tours

Words mostly supplied by Cat Davidson our superb Inala guide.

Some useful links:
The Conversation.com - Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Cat management project - Bruny and wider Kingborough region
Fall of civilisations podcast - Rapa Nui

Some links about some of the organisations and projects doing important conservation work in Tasmania
Inala Nature Foundation
Bob Brown Foundation
Difficult Bird Research Group
Save the Tasmanian Devil Appeal

29th October 2024 Hobart Area
We met on a beautiful, sunny morning in Hobart. Unfortunately, the flight to Melaleuca in the Southwest Wilderness could not proceed due to stormy weather. However, the whole group opted for a day of birding around the Hobart area, so we headed to the Hobart Botanic Gardens to begin the day. Arriving before the crowds, we started with our very first endemic bird—a trio of Tasmanian Native Hens (Turbo Chooks). A family of Pacific Black Ducks with adorable ducklings was sitting in the shade, and across the lawns, we saw several Masked Lapwings and a stunning Eastern Rosella displaying all the colours of the rainbow.

Eastern Rosella

Masked Lapwing

Native Hen

Maned Duck and Duckling

Feasting in the flowering bushes, we watched Little Wattlebirds chasing each other, and as we arrived at the vegetable garden area, we saw our first Superb Fairywren—a stunning blue alpha male. Near the Japanese water sculpture, we watched Grey Fantails twirling and swirling, catching their insect breakfast. We saw many Eurasian Blackbirds and a single Spotted Dove as we made our way around the gardens in a loop. After hearing their raucous calls throughout, we finally had a great view of a Yellow Wattlebird. This endemic bird, with its stunning long yellow wattles, gave us great views as it fed on some flax flowers.

Yellow Wattlebird

The lily pond had dozens of Welcome Swallows swooping low over the surface, and we enjoyed their agility. Returning to the bus, we saw a beautiful male Scarlet Robin, several Brown Thornbills, and a pair of European Goldfinches.

Scarlet Robin

Welcome Swallow

A quick drive through Hobart to the suburb of Sandy Bay led us to Long Beach, also known as ‘Parrot Park’. We had a very productive loop through this well-kept park and saw an excellent selection of beautiful birds, including Eastern Rosella, Galah, Long-billed Corella, Rainbow Lorikeet, Musk Lorikeet, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Noisy Miner, and a family of Australian Magpies. The Musk Lorikeet in particular gave us wondrous views, low down in a flowering eucalypt, as they acrobatically manoeuvred their emerald green bodies in dextrous loops to reach the best flowers.

Long-billed Corella

Musk Lorikeet

Noisy Miner

Following our morning tea at Parrot Park, we headed to Kingston and made a stop at Brown’s Rivulet, where our main target was the elusive Lewin’s Rail. A falling tide made the chances of spotting this rare bird feeding on the muddy river edges a real possibility. While we were scanning the riverbanks, we saw Kelp Gull, White-faced Heron, a family of native hens, and then, miracle of miracles, a tiny, beautiful Lewin’s Rail! At first, we had just glimpses, but then we enjoyed long, sustained excellent views. With that success under our belt, we headed for Peter Murrell Reserve, and during our loop walk around the lovely wee dam, we saw our next endemic, the Yellow-throated Honeyeater. Chestnut Teal and Pacific Black Duck were gliding on the pond, and in the eucalyptus trees around its edges, we saw Spotted Pardalote, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, and a single beautiful endemic Green Rosella.

Green Rosella

A late lunch in Kingston was followed by an afternoon at Waterworks Reserve. On the water, there were a huge number of Kelp Gulls, a smaller number of Eurasian Coots, several solo Hoary-headed Grebes, and some Great Cormorants. Once amongst the trees, we saw both Grey and Black Currawongs, close-up Forest Ravens, and a brief sighting of a Tasmanian Scrubwren. A melodious Grey Butcherbird completed our lovely walk before we returned to the hotel. Over dinner, we met the final members of our merry group and discussed our plans for the next day and the whole tour.

Black Currawong

Grey Currawong

Laughing Kookaburra

30th October 2024 Maria Island
Zipping from Hobart to Triabunna, we stopped briefly to enjoy two majestic and incredibly close Wedge-tailed Eagles. We set off on the ferry in beautiful weather to cross the Mercury Channel to Maria Island. Amongst the cormorants and gulls, we also saw Australasian Gannet, Great Crested Tern, and White-bellied Sea Eagle, as well as an exciting, brief view of a Humpback Whale. We landed on Maria Island and immediately spotted a pair of tiny Hooded Plovers on the beach.

Black-faced Cormorant

Hooded Plover

Several Australian Pied Oystercatchers and Chestnut Teal were further down the white curve of sand. As we walked towards the Darlington settlement, we saw our first adorable wombat on the slope, with its chubby cheeks and stocky little body. Two Cape Barren Geese walked towards us, giving us incredibly close views of their green cere and red-and-black legs. Amongst the trees, we saw our first adorable Tasmanian Pademelons. Walking towards the settlement, we came across many more Cape Barren Geese, Yellow-rumped Thornbills, and Native Hens grazing on the grass.

Chestnut Teal

Cape Barren Goose

Tasmanian Pademelon

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

A quick stop in Darlington, where a female Flame Robin was singing her heart out on top of a building, and we were ready for a walk to the Painted Cliffs. We made our way up the grassy slope, past many more wombats, and as we entered the forest, we began to see Yellow Wattlebirds and a Fan-tailed Cuckoo sitting in the open, allowing us to admire its stripy tail and peachy chest. On the way to the Oast House, we saw some endemic Black-headed Honeyeaters, giving us high-up views of their green backs and handsome black heads, as well as a brief view of a beautiful Eastern Spinebill. A Swamp Harrier elegantly circled us, allowing us to see its white rump, and along a boardwalk section, we saw some sweet Bennett's Wallabies hanging out with the pademelons and had great views of two Tasmanian Thornbills flashing their white underparts. We popped out by the beach and viewed the Painted Cliffs before setting off back towards the settlement. Along the way, we spotted a wombat with a joey and an adorable family of Cape Barren Geese with half a dozen fluffy, stripy goslings. A Little Pied and a Great Cormorant sat high in a tree, drying their wings, and a White-bellied Sea Eagle did a brief fly-by over the hilltop. We had lunch at Darlington and squeezed in a quick walk towards the Reservoir Circuit, where we could hear half a dozen Swift Parrots high amongst the eucalypts. Several zoomed out of the treetops and shot off across the forest. Returning to the ferry, we enjoyed final views of a male Flame Robin and a sleepy wombat by the river. Upon landing, we zoomed south to Eaglehawk Neck and relaxed after a glorious day.

Wombat

Bennett's Wallaby

31st October 2024 Tasman Peninsula

Bright and early the sailors hit the ocean wave. Here is Paul's Trip Report and e-bird list for the day.

The tour faced strong southerlies, rough seas, and several showers, some heavy, resulting in high numbers of birds but very low diversity. Despite these challenging conditions, we observed a remarkable 9,520 individual birds across 19 species. Highlights included large numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters (around 9,000), Great Crested Terns (100), and Australasian Gannets (100). Gulls were represented by Silver Gulls (50), Kelp Gulls (80), and Pacific Gulls (2). Among the impressive albatross sightings were Southern Royal Albatrosses (8), Northern Royal Albatrosses (2), White capped Albatrosses (40, including 2 steadi), Black-browed Albatrosses (1 with 4 from the Campbell subspecies), and a single Buller's Albatross. Storm-Petrels included Wilson's Storm-Petrels (30) and Grey-backed Storm-Petrels (2), while petrel sightings included Northern Giant-Petrels (3), a Pintado Petrel (Antarctic), and White-chinned Petrels (10). Other notable sightings included Black-faced Cormorants (80), Wedge-tailed Eagles (2), and a White-bellied Sea-Eagle. Due to strengthening winds, the trip was cut short, but not before we encountered at least five Humpback Whales, including a calf, with some individuals breaching and tail-slapping. The seas were also home to Short-beaked Common Dolphins, Oceanic Bottlenose Dolphins, Brown Fur Seals, and Long-nosed Fur Seals. Boat: The Pauletta, skippered by Michael Males with deckhand Stacey Beswick.

Northern Royal Albatross

Buller's Albatross

Short-tailed Shearwater

Shy Albatross (juvenile, New Zealand)

Shy Albatross

Silver Gull

Southern Royal Albatross

After picking everyone up at the jetty and taking a short break back at the hotel, we headed out for a late afternoon jaunt to the incredible geological formations of the Tasman Arch and the Devil's Kitchen. The birds were fairly quiet; however, we had good views of a pair of Brown Thornbills in the eucalyptus canopy, followed by a single male Satin Flycatcher shaking his tail and rear on a lovely low branch. New Holland Honeyeaters and Little Wattlebirds were bopping about, and we managed to get some decent views of a male Flame Robin, as well as many beautiful Superb Fairywrens.

Little Wattlebird

Satin Flycatcher (male)

A quick visit to the Blowhole, with more gorgeous geological features to feast our eyes upon, rewarded us with a pair of sweet wee Tasmanian Scrubwrens. After dark, we went on an exploration to see if we could spot any Little Penguins, and we were wonderfully fortunate. Less than ten minutes after we had settled down on the sand, a group of ten penguins came ashore in a cluster and made their way up the beach close together, vanishing into the bushes right next to us. One of the group lagged behind, and, looking a wee bit lost, a second penguin came back down the slope and appeared to give a few words of encouragement to get the first one up the dunes—a very lovely behaviour to watch. On the short return drive to the hotel, we saw two adorable dark and grey morph Brush-tailed Possums.

1st November 2024 Tasman Peninsula - Bruny
Setting off from the Lufra Hotel, our first stop for the day was the Pirate Bay lookout, with a stunning vista over the bay where we had been staying. Continuing towards Marion Bay, we paused along the shoreline, where we saw Caspian and Great Crested Terns as well as a tiny, fluffy Australian Pied Oystercatcher chick. In the saltmarsh of Marion Bay, we spotted a group of Bar-tailed Godwits, a single Pacific Golden Plover, a pair of Greenshanks with their heads tucked in, a family of Red-capped Plovers scooting about on the mudflats, and a lovely selection of White-fronted Chats perched on top of the bushes. Little Egrets, White-faced Herons, and Chestnut Teal rounded out a lovely wetland selection of birds. Walking down to the lookout over the beautiful white sands of the beach, we saw Hooded Plovers and Pied Oystercatchers, and then the magical sight of a flock of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos coming in to land in a Banksia bush nearby.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (male)

An adult White-bellied Sea Eagle was gliding elegantly over the mountains, putting the icing on the cake of a beautiful location.

White-bellied Sea Eagle

A wee dam beside the village of Copping gave us a gang of snug Eurasian Coots, a single Hoary-headed Grebe close to the shore, a distant Australasian Shelduck, and our first good view of some Swift Parrots swinging back and forth in the eucalypt branches above us.

Swift Parrot

Galah

In Sorell, we drove to Orielton Lagoon, and straight away we spotted Black-fronted Dotterels living in the mud with some horses and watched Eurasian Skylarks hovering, soaring, and singing in the fields around us. We walked across the salt flats and saw half a dozen Eastern Curlews in a light heat haze on the water’s edge. A pair of Red-capped Plovers gave us lovely views as we headed back, successfully dodging another light shower.

Black-fronted Dotterel

Red-capped Plover

Swamp Harrier

After morning tea, we zipped across Hobart to Mount Nelson, where we used our ears to track down a street lined with Eucalyptus ovata full of over twenty Swift Parrots, giving us fantastic views as they feasted on the flower buds—a glorious treat for the ears and the eyes. Moving onward down the channel, a quick loop around Dru Point in Margate provided beautiful views of Superb Fairywren, Brown Thornbill, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, and a single perched Common Bronzewing with a glowing iridescent wing.

Superb Fairywren (male)

Superb Fairywren (female)

Lunch in Margate was followed by a ferry ride over to Bruny Island, where we quickly had great luck with not one but two beautiful Short-beaked Echidnas snuffling and feeding along the road verges.

Short-beaked Echidna

We did a birding loop around the Neck Campground and saw a female Golden Whistler, a female Satin Flycatcher with her lovely red chest, a pair of Grey Shrikethrush calling their sharp, sweet songs, and a new Tasmanian endemic bird—a family of Dusky Robins. Our last lovely wildlife encounter before resting in our cottages was a field full of grey Bennett’s Wallabies, several with joeys in their pouches, and a single White Wallaby glowing brightly, like an Alice-in-Wonderland character amongst the trees.

Satin Flycatcher(female)

Dusky Robin

Tasmanian Pademelon

2nd November 2024 Bruny
Starting the day at Inala in beautiful sunshine, we set off through the lovely Inala Jurassic Garden, spotting a native Velvet-furred Rat near the blooming Waratahs, with New Holland Honeyeaters, Eurasian Goldfinches, and Green Rosellas zipping about among the blossoms. In the Eucalyptus viminalis avenue, we spotted Black-headed Honeyeaters and then our first tiny, marvellous Forty-spotted Pardalotes farming the trees for manna. Many more Forty-spotted Pardalotes continued to perform spectacularly for us, coming in incredibly close beside the Pardalote Platform.

Forty-spotted Pardelote

A walk through the lower reaches of the Inala Conservation Reserve was fantastic. We saw all four Robins: Dusky Robin, Scarlet Robin, and Flame Robin in the open fields, along with a wonderful sighting of a pair of Pink Robins in the trees. In a mossy avenue, we enjoyed the orchids Chiloglottis gunnii and Caladenia orchids peeping out among the moss, as well as a scattering of tiny Drosera (sundews). Another new bird was the Tasmanian endemic, the Strong-billed Honeyeater, working its way up the trunks and branches like a Treecreeper. As we made our way back, we heard and then saw a beautiful Brown Falcon perched majestically on a branch. A healthy Tiger Snake was spotted among the Nothofagus on the way back through the garden. On our way to morning tea beside the ocean, we saw a pair of Pallid Cuckoos who called and then landed on the powerlines right next to us. We witnessed the fabulous sight of a tiny Scarlet Robin chasing one of the Pallid Cuckoos away. After a quick snack, we zipped down to the bottom of Cape Bruny and took a walk around the buildings, spotting Native Hens, female Flame Robins, Dusky Woodswallows, and New Holland Honeyeaters. As we were walking up to the lighthouse, we had the rare sight of a tiny, perfect Mountain Dragon. From the top, we marvelled at the spectacular Jurassic cliffs and the incredible vistas in all directions, spotting a White-bellied Sea Eagle being chased by Forest Ravens high above the mountain line. The Jetty Beach campsite gave us views of Fan-tailed Cuckoos, Strong-billed Honeyeaters, female Golden Whistlers, and a boldly singing Olive Whistler who refused to come out and say hello. The highlight of the walk was two fabulous blonde Short-beaked Echidnas busy digging for invertebrates in the sandy soil. After lunch at Alonnah pontoon, we took a super-quick stop at the Bruny Island Chocolate Shop before we pulled into the beautiful location of Two-tree Point, where the colours of the white sand, emerald waves, and lime-green seaweed made for a magical, vivid combination. Another milky-brown Echidna gave us lovely views as it dug in the open grass. Our next birding location at the end of the bay gave us three Swift Parrots in flight and a brief sighting of a Beautiful Firetail. Four handsome White Wallabies were then discovered all close together, one with a regular coloured joey peeking out of its pouch. Our last stop for the day was Mavista Rainforest, where we strolled through the stunning temperate rainforest, surrounded by Antarctic Tree Ferns, Nothofagus cunninghamii, and a rich diversity of elegant ferns. Returning to our cottages over the mountain road, with native flowering Tasmanian Waratah along the way, we arrived back at Inala to find a Beautiful Firetail waiting for us in the carpark, giving great views of this special bird with its delightful red rump. After dinner, we returned to The Neck and waited until dusk to witness many hundreds of Short-tailed Shearwaters coming in to land, gliding in wide circles around us before landing heavily on the sand and vanishing down their burrows. We spotlighted a few individuals as they sat on the sand before taking a quick night drive to look for mammals. Due to very high winds, we only saw several Brush tailed Possums and had some brief glimpses of Eastern Quolls, so we headed home to rest.

Tasmanian Pademelon and Joey

3rd November 2024 Bruny - Hamilton
A final beautiful morning with breakfast at Inala and a quick shop opportunity in the Inala nature gift shop before we set off heading north. We had a very quick stop at The Neck to allow everyone to zip up the 200+ steps and enjoy the stunning view of the tombolo between North and South Bruny. Our first birding stop was the Cape Queen Elizabeth track, where we walked out to the lagoon. In amongst the burned trees and grasses, we immediately came across our target birds—several stunning Blue-winged Parrots, who sat up in the open on a branch and glowed for us in the sunshine. We watched a huge flock of Kelp Gulls take off from the water, pushed up by a Swamp Harrier, spotted two distant Musk Ducks, and had a brief view of a White-fronted Chat along the sand line. But it was the Blue-wings that stole our hearts, with over thirty wheeling around us and giving us incredible views of their wonderful colours and funky little eye bands.

Blue-winged Parrot

After the ferry ride back across the channel, we travelled into Hobart and set off up kunanyi, stopping at The Springs where we began a loop through the Manuka and Melaleuca. Pausing in a clearing, we were surrounded by the calls of the Crescent Honeyeater. After teasing us for a while, several of them popped out into the open to show us their lovely yellow wings. A bold and striking endemic Black Currawong glared at us from the forest floor, a few Tasmanian Scrubwrens zoomed past, and then a fabulous bird, a male Olive Whistler, popped out right in front of us and gave wonderful views of its olive back and white throat.

Olive Whistler

Continuing our way to the top of kunanyi, amongst the beautiful snow gums and rivers of freeze-thaw dolerite, we had blue skies in all directions and great views through the sharp, bracing wind of the city below and the locations where we had been over the previous days. After lunch, we visited Gould’s Lagoon. There was a lovely selection of water birds, including Black fronted Dotterels, Australian Swamphens, Australasian Shovelers, Grey Teal, Chestnut Teal, Great Cormorants, Eurasian Coots, and a graceful Swamp Harrier hunting low over the wetlands.

Black Swan

Australasian Swamphen and Grey Teal

A short walk around the lagoon provided sightings of Eastern Rosellas, Noisy Miners, European Goldfinches, Yellow Wattlebirds, and Musk Lorikeets, but the most excitement came when we unintentionally flushed a Latham’s Snipe, who shot off across the water, giving brief but lovely views of its long, straight bill and sharp pointed wings. Driving to our home for the night, Curringa Farm, we arrived to a warm welcome from Jane and Tim and enjoyed a delicious farm barbecue. As we drove through the farm back to our lovely cabins, we saw European Hares and Bennett’s Wallabies amongst the hundreds of White-faced Sussex sheep.

4th November 2024 Mount Field
Waking up to sunshine at Curringa Farm, some of us took a short walk through the regeneration section of the farm, enjoying the views over the River Derwent. Amongst the morning birds were Grey Butcherbird, Noisy Miner, Striated Pardalote, Eastern Rosella, a calling Pallid Cuckoo, and a flyby flock of Black Swans. As we came down the hill, we saw a field full of Banded Lapwings, including four tiny chicks.

Banded Lapwing

A Brown Falcon and Swamp Harrier were sitting dangerously nearby. Popping down to the reception area, we scanned the dam and spotted Hoary-headed Grebe, Australasian Shovelers, Black Swan, and Grey Teal, as well as adorable floofy Silky Chickens and boofy-headed Alpacas. We set off for Mount Field National Park and took our first walk to Russell Falls. Along the way, we saw a pair of beautiful Pink Robins, a few Tasmanian Thornbills, Tasmanian Scrubwren, and some tantalising glimpses of two Bassian Thrushes. However, the highlight came when we were standing watching a Tasmanian Pademelon, and a Platypus suddenly appeared in the stream, giving us several great views of its busy feeding behaviour. The waterfall itself was flowing beautifully, and the temperate rainforest, full of towering tree ferns, cast its magic on us all. Next, we drove to Junee Cave and walked along the river to where it vanished underground into the cave mouth. The mossy trunks of the trees above the clear stream, surrounded by tree ferns, made for a beautiful habitat. The birds were being rather elusive until we came across a pocket with Tasmanian Scrubwren, Tasmanian Thornbill, Grey Fantail, and Golden Whistler. Then, in amongst them all, a single lovely Scrubtit, the last endemic bird we were seeking on the tour, pinged about very rapidly but stayed around long enough to give everyone a chance to see its lovely features. One more quick location proved fortuitous with another incredible view of a busy Platypus—lightning truly does strike twice. After lunch, we headed up to the top of the mountain at over 1000m, with some lovely patches of snow still clinging to the peaks. The habitats changed rapidly around us as we climbed, moving from temperate rainforest to dry eucalyptus forest to open alpine heathland. The rivers of rock, the twisted Snow Gums, and the mosaic colours of the moorland were all captivating. We took a brief walk at Lake Dobson, surrounded by Pencil Pines and towering Pandanis. The loop walk was quiet, but we did see two bold Black Currawongs, a Yellow-throated Honeyeater, and a quick Crescent Honeyeater. Returning to Curringa Farm, we took a final quick stop at the Tall Trees Walk to see the magnificent Eucalyptus regnans, the tallest hardwood tree in the world. Another lovely meal with Tim and Jane followed, and as we drove home to rest, we saw a single Common Bronzewing lowing in the final rays of sunlight.

5th November 2024 Hamilton - Leven Canyon
Departing Curringa, we set off north, with our first stop at a dam near Bothwell. The water was alive with birdlife, including a large flock of Hardheads, along with many Hoary-headed Grebes, Black Swans, Chestnut and Grey Teal, and several Musk Ducks.

Black Swan and Musk Duck

The morning was peaceful, and the birds gave us wonderful views. We continued to the Steppes Sculptures and took a lovely walk through the tranquil forest towards the Steppes Homestead. Along the way, we spotted a Satin Flycatcher, Tasmanian Scrubwren, and Brown Thornbill.

Tasmanian Scrubwren

At the homestead, we were treated to excellent views of a Black Currawong, Black headed Honeyeater, and a female Flame Robin.

Black-headed Honeyeaters

We also watched as several pairs of Striated Pardalotes moved in and out of hollows in a towering Eucalyptus tree, adding a touch of liveliness to the scene. After morning tea at Miena Dam, we drove past the Great Lake and stopped for a walk at the stunning alpine Pencil Pine Lake. The elusive Striated Fieldwrens kept their distance, but we marvelled at the beautiful landscape, with rock rivers and ancient twisted trees creating an almost mystical atmosphere. Continuing our journey down the switchback hillside to Deloraine, we stopped for a lovely lunch at the Elizabeth Town bakery. We then had the afternoon free to explore the Tasmanian Arboretum. As we arrived at the central dams, we were immediately rewarded with fantastic views of two Platypus. One swam beneath a bridge, while the other climbed up the weir rocks and swam in close, giving us incredible views from all angles before slipping back down to the water. It was an unforgettable experience to see these extraordinary creatures up close. Some of the group stayed by the Platypus ponds, while others wandered through the gardens.

Duck-billed Platypus

In the Tasmanian native plants section, we encountered a Bassian Thrush and a pair of Golden Whistlers. Green Rosellas flew overhead, and Eurasian Goldfinches and Silvereyes zipped past. In the water, we saw Eurasian Coots, Hardheads, and a single Little Pied Oystercatcher. With our hearts full of sunshine and Platypus sightings, we made our way to our accommodation in the heart of Leven Canyon. Pat warmly welcomed us, showing us to our cosy cabins, where a delicious meal awaited. We settled into our rooms, eager to see what wildlife the night would bring.

6th November 2024 Cradle Mountain
We met up for an early walk around Loongana. It was pretty peaceful, but we did come across a tree full of Strong-billed and Black-headed Honeyeaters, mixed in with Grey Fantails and Brown Thornbills. Several Black Currawongs, Grey-shrike Thrushes, and Kookaburras were moving through the area, calling loudly. Setting off for Cradle Mountain, the weather promised to be spectacular, and we all shared stories of the wildlife we’d spotted during the night, with several people staying up very late and getting lucky with both Spotted-tailed Quolls and Tasmanian Devils. We crossed a steep ravine and made our way through the Wilmot ‘valley of views’, stopping for a look across to the beautiful Mt Roland. Arriving at Cradle Mountain National Park, we took our first walk to the lovely Pencil Pine Falls before continuing on to the Enchanted Forest Walk, where we had wonderful views of Crescent Honeyeaters and some Pink Robins, who kept hiding from us but gave us a few good glimpses.

Crescent Honeyeater

Three Great Cormorants were hanging out at the fishing dam, and we completed our loop past another stunning waterfall before stopping for morning tea, where a cheeky Black Currawong came up close. At Dove Lake, we were incredibly lucky with the weather, and we could see all of Cradle Mountain clearly. Walking up to Glacier Rock, basking in the sunshine, we saw three Sulphur-crested Cockatoos high on the mountain—quite a strange sighting for that location. At Ronny’s Creek boardwalk, we came across a full dozen adorable Common Wombats and two Short-beaked Echidnas.

Wombat

Native Hens and Welcome Swallows added more colour and activity, while the soundscape was filled with Yellow Wattlebirds and Fantailed Cuckoos. We walked up the hill to Waldheim’s Cabin and had lunch in the day hut, with stunning views over the Buttongrass moorland and the Pandani riparian creek line. For our final walk, we wound our way through the King Billy Forest, with the incredible moss-covered trunks and fairy-tale twisted limbs of King Billy Pines, Celery Pines, and Myrtle Beech, and were fortunate enough to get clearer views of a Scrubtit than we had before.

Scrubtit

A quick "Shopportunity" and a flyby from a Wedge-tailed Eagle before we headed back to Leven Canyon after a fantastic final full day in Tasmania.

7th November 2024 Departure Day
Another fantastic night of wildlife sightings at Mountain Valley with Tasmanian Devils, Spotted-tail Quoll, a possum playing on the deck, and even an incredible Masked Owl.

Spotted-tail Quoll

Tasmanian Devil

It was such a privilege to be able to watch this incredible marsupial. However....

Tasmanian Devil

The same Devil and it has contracted the facial tumour disease (DFTD) origins of which are unknown and likely has less than five months to live. Poor Devil, my heart sank when I saw this.

Brush-tailed Possum and Joey

On the way to the airport, we stopped at a few sites, starting at Moorland Beach, where we saw several small groups of incredibly camouflaged Ruddy Turnstones feeding among the rocks and seaweed. Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers, Kelp and Silver Gulls also fed along the shoreline, and off shore we saw Great Crested Terns, Australian Gannets, and a passing Humpback Whale. Zooming from Devonport to Launceston, we pulled into Tamar Wetlands, where we saw Double banded Plovers zipping around, a brief Little Grassbird darting along the mud edge, and many Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal, Australian Shelducks, and Black Swans. A Latham’s Snipe posed beautifully in the open for us, making it two of these hard-to-see birds during the tour. Our final stop was lovely Queechy Lake, where we had a last sunny morning tea together and watched the Eurasian Coots, Hardhead, and Grey Teal swimming around the lake, while Little Pied Cormorants landed on the nesting island. Two final new birds were a flitty singing Reed Warbler and a busy swimming Dusky Moorhen.

Dungeness Birding

Monday, 16 December 2024

Australia Tasmania

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