THE NUT, A GIANT PENGUIN & A SWIFT SURPRISE: Last days in Tassie.

After departing Green Point we made our way back along the northern Tasmanian coastline. At Stanley we visited the Nut, an ancient volcanic plug that juts out into the surrounding azure waters of Bass Strait.

At 143 metres high, it is quite a steep but worthwhile walk to the summit, where the views are lovely and a circuit can be followed around the top. Alternatively a chairlift operates for ease of access, weather permitting.

Godfreys Beach

The Nut from Peggs Beach

The town of Penguin was our next destination, although we actually free camped at nearby Sulphur Creek, a 48 hour rest stop. This spot was a great place to see Little Penguins returning to their burrows at dusk and we could hear their calls in the scrub behind our van. 

The"big" Little Penguin at Penguin

Before we departed the island, we spent our last couple of days at Forth, again free camping, this time at the sports ground from where we explored the surrounding area. A stroll around the Kelsey Tier nature walk yielded some nice birds including two Swift Parrots, a pleasant surprise, but a couple of mediocre snaps was all I could manage. We spent a couple of days on Bruny Island earlier on our trip searching for them and tracked a small flock down eventually. They just turned up here when I least expected it!  

Swift Parrot

This nomadic and colourful blossom feeder is in danger of extinction in the wild. Breeding only in Tasmania, it's habitat is still being logged and the eggs and young are predated upon by the Sugar Glider. An excellent article on the problems they face here:  http://theconversation.com/sugar-gliders-are-eating-swift-parrots-but-whats-to-blame-19555

Strong-billed Honeyeaters, Satin Flycatchers and a single Brush Bronzewing were some of the other dozen or so species observed along the 3.6 km circuit.  

Brush Bronzewing

We farewelled Tasmania from Devonport on the 27th of January 2013 after ten weeks of very enjoyable travels, an experience that will live long in our memories. A year later we would be exploring the south west of Western Australia:  http://qldbirder.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/on-road-again.html    More on our adventures in between to come.

Devonport

Some Short-tailed Shearwaters and a distant albatross I couldn't identify, accompanied us on our otherwise uneventful journey back to the mainland aboard the Spirit of Tasmania.  

Short-tailed Shearwater

Albatross sp.

Scrolling through my blog archive will show nine previous posts depicting the highlights of our terrific Tassie trip. 

Cheers & Happy Birding!

RECENT RARITIES

There was a bit of excitement within the birding community last month, with the identification of a very rare vagrant from Asia. The bird, previously mistaken for a female Little Bittern, was actually a Yellow Bittern and seen at a suburban wetland in the suburb of North Lakes, half way between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. A friend and I went down to check the site and were rewarded with excellent and prolonged views of this mega-rarity as it clambered through the reeds searching for prey.

Yellow Bittern - photo by Vince Lee

This particular individual probably overshot the destination of Papua New Guinea or Indonesia on its summer migration from further north in Asia. Thanks to the sharp eyes of some local birders it was spotted recently in this quiet location and may have been here for quite some time.

Yellow Bittern

It is possibly only the second record of a Yellow Bittern on Australia's mainland, along with a few unconfirmed sightings since the late 1960's. It always pays to be on the lookout for anything different when birding, you never know what may turn up!

Yellow Bittern

This wetland is also the hangout for a Little Bittern, an uncommon species, with a patchy distribution in the wetter areas of Australia. This male was showing well too, contrary to it's normal skulking behavior and like it's close relative above, seemed oblivious to the fascinated observers along the edges of the lake.

Little Bittern - photo by Vince Lee

North Lakes wetland

Also reported, earlier this month at a bush land suburban park south of Brisbane, were around a dozen Swift Parrots. An endangered species that breeds in Tasmania, it migrates to the mainland for winter, seeking the flowering gums for sustenance and coming as far north as southern Queensland. It is thought there are only around a thousand pairs left, and the population may be declining.

Swift Parrot

I had the opportunity to visit Gould Adams Park at Kingston and was thrilled to observe these rare visitors in my home state. After half an hour of neck straining searching, with Rainbow, Scaly-breasted and Little Lorikeets all vying for my attention, I latched on to a couple of birds feeding about twenty metres up in a blossoming gum. Others were heard nearby and most likely they will hang around here till early September before heading south. Long may they continue their annual pilgrimage!

Swift Parrot

A much better image of a swiftie below, taken at Bruny Island Tasmania.

Photo by J J Harrison (Wikimedia Commons)

Another bird not often seen in these parts is the Asian Dowitcher. This particular wader, possibly a young bird and not yet ready to head back to the breeding grounds in Siberia, has been overwintering in Moreton Bay. It has been seen by many observers since about mid June, at a man made, high tide wader roost at Toorbul, just south of the Sunshine Coast. I have only observed this species once before at Broome in Western Australia where it is a regular visitor, albeit in small numbers only.

Asian Dowitcher - photo by Vince Lee

My friend Vince and I snaffled this rarity on our way back from the successful twitch of the aforementioned Yellow Bittern. By the way, the word dowitcher comes from the English translation of the Iroquoian (North American Indian) name for this rare long distance traveller.

Asian Dowitcher - photo by Vince Lee

Cheers & Happy Birding