BAY OF FIRES (LARAPUNA), TASMANIA

In early December 2012 we spent some time in the beautiful Bay of Fires Conservation Area, camping at Cosy Corner and enjoying the start of the southern summer. 

Taylors Beach

The bay came by its name when an English ships' captain, Tobias Furneaux, saw the fires of the original indigenous inhabitants along the beaches when exploring the east coast in 1773. Larapuna is the alternative name for this area.

The oystercatchers weren't particularly shy and it was nice to see them regularly on many of the beaches  we visited around Tasmania.

Pied Oystercatcher

Sooty Oystercatcher

It was unusual to see these gulls clambering about on some shrubbery near the campground. It seemed they were picking tiny berries from among the foliage, a bit of a change from their usual fishy fare.  

Silver Gull

One of the more common Tassie endemics was present but by no means allowing close proximity, the image below taken from some distance off.

Yellow-throated Honeyeater

A small flock of Black-Cockatoos did a flyby then settled in some nearby gums where one sat out in the open for a half decent shot.

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo

I was pleased to spot a Frogmouth when walking one of the tracks a bit further inland one morning. Not a common occurrence because they are usually so cryptic when settled into their day time roost.

Tawny Frogmouth

Meanwhile back at our campsite a Shrike-thrush was being very conspicuous when pecking at it's reflection, even though the car mirror had been turned in earlier to prevent this from re-occurring. 

Grey Shrike-thrush

The granite boulders along the shoreline are splashed with orange lichen making for a colourful contrast against the blue summer sky. 

Cheers & Happy Birding

NARAWNTAPU NATIONAL PARK, TASMANIA, Part Two (Feathered Creatures)

In this post I have featured some of the bird life we encountered during our four day stay at Narawntapu. 

  

Narawntapu from Archers Knob

Dodging the wombats around the campground were these Native-hens, one of the largest members of the family Rallidae, and also flightless. We saw these quirky birds throughout Tasmania, wherever there was any freshwater wetlands.

Tasmanian Native-hen

On Bakers Beach we came across a small party of Hooded Plovers. Tasmania is probably the best place to see these stunning little shore-birds, where they are still relatively common compared to their mainland counterparts.

Hooded Plover

Silver Gull

On the freshwater lake at Springlawn there were a few distant ducks, but closer to shore a lone grebe popped up for a photo opportunity in between dives.

Hoary-headed Grebe

In the scrub between lake and beach a few bush birds were present, trying their best to be the worst possible photographic subjects. In this they succeeded!

Tasmanian Thornbill

Golden Whistler - female 

On the job!

This great little National Park is a fantastic introduction to Tasmania and its wildlife and a must see for any nature lovers planning a trip to Tassie. Highly recommended!

Bakers Beach

Cheers & Happy Birding

LITTLE STYX RIVER TO COOPERNOOK

We left Tenterfield on the 13th January and kept heading south toward Armidale and the Waterfall Way where we free camped beside the Little Styx River just outside New England Nat.Park. The weather turned wet and cold for the 3 nights we were there.

In the photo below I was playing the call of the Olive Whistler, unsuccessfully trying to bring a bird in. We didn't hear or see any of these elusive birds in this park or a couple of other places we tried.

There were plenty of Currawongs about though and this one came in for a squiz at our campsite. 

Pied Currawong

And this little tyke was braving the elements in the car park of the national park.

Flame Robin

The road from Armidale to Dorrigo is called the Waterfall Way for good reason. There are about half a dozen  picturesque falls along this route all worth a look.  

Upper Ebor Falls

 And a walk through the rainforest at Dorrigo National Park is a must.

Dorrigo National Park

Dangar Falls, Dorrigo.

Just north of Taree we camped in Coopernook State Forest where we had a chance to dry out after the wet weather that had dogged us for nearly a week. Across from our campsite a juvenile Sparrowhawk was intent on calling for a parent to feed it, sitting tight next to the nest. It continued this routine for a few hours until they came back from hunting and it flew further away into the forest to be fed.

Juvenile Collared Sparrowhawk and nest

These gulls were loafing beside the Macleay River when we came through earlier from Coffs Harbour and the sun had finally emerged.

Silver Gulls

WADER WEEKENDS

I had a chance to do some wader watching while having a picnic lunch with family at Scarborough on the Redcliffe peninsula just north of Brisbane. I wandered over to some exposed rocks on the shoreline not expecting much, when I saw these birds, mainly roosting. 

Eastern Curlew

They blended in very well and without my binoculars would have been difficult to pick up.

Top to bottom - Eastern Curlew, Pacific Golden Plover, Whimbrel.

Some people exploring the rocks put the birds to flight, causing the lone curlew to join some local gulls in the deeper water nearby. 

Eastern Curlew and Silver Gull

Silver Gull preening.

A couple of weekends ago I went out specifically to do some wader watching with a friend. Our favourite place is at Toorbul about halfway between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

Southern roost at Toorbul

It has a large area for the waders to rest on the high tides and is well sign posted to minimise the disturbance of this important habitat. With the on going reclamation of many of their resting and feeding sites in Asia

these birds need all the help they can get.

Assorted waders

A couple of kangaroos decided to have a sun bake on the sand between the mudflats.The birds didn't seem to mind.

Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Whimbrels.

Bar-tailed Godwits

Australian Pied Oystercatchers.

Australian Pelicans.

This little critter made itself welcome on our back verandah recently and I've been trawling the net trying to identify it. I think it is one of the Litoria species, maybe a Rocketfrog type.

Litoria sp.?