Island hopping in South-east Australia

[Treepol]

Jo, I am so jealous of your Pink Robin photo, good one. Underwater photography too, is there no end to your talents?

[kittykat23uk]

@Treepolaww thank you! 

[kittykat23uk]

Tuesday 28 Feb

I spent the early morning around the chalets, first watching the platypus and then I was entertained by a mixed flock of Grey Shrike Thrush, Crescent, Yellow-throated and Black-headed Honeyeaters, Grey Fantails, Striated Pardalotes, Silvereyes, Scarlet Robins and all the usual lbjs (thornbills, scrubtits and scrubwrens). They were busily feeding and bathing amongst some riverine scrub and fallen trees. Masked Lapwings hunted for grubs on the manicured lawn. A Yellow Wattlebird kept its distance in the tall eucalyptus and the White-bealled Sea Eagle flew gracefully overhead.

 

P2280075_01 Grey Shrikethrush by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280135  Juvenile Crescent Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280248 Silvereye by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280265 Brown Thornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280355  Yellow-throated Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280457 Yellow-throated Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280369  Yellow-throated Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280428  Black-headed Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280478_01 Striated Pardalote by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280524 Grey Fantail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280535 Grey Fantail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280557_01 Scarlet Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Later on we took a walk around Lake Dobson. This is also known as the Pandani Grove walk. Pandani Grove is a delightful green oasis nestled beneath the ski slopes of Mount Field. The easy 1.5km circuit around Lake Dobson passes close by pandani growing amidst alpine gums and soft treeferns. These characterful pandani are the tallest heath in the world. Their tough, drooping foliage sheds snow and ice, helping protect them from the cold at this altitude (1000m). There’s a population of platypus here too but sadly we didn’t see any.

The remarkable pandani is just one of many subalpine plants that are found in Tasmania and nowhere else on Earth. Along the walk we passed a range of  alpine plants. Mount Field is unusual in that the diversity of plants in the upper reaches of the mountain is greater than the diversity of plants in the forests at the base of the mountain. 

At the far end of the lake, there is a stunning patch of forest dominated by a mixture of pandanis and pencil pines. Pencil pines are one of a number of ancient conifers that are endemic to Tasmania. You will have seen a few pictures of them in previous posts from Cradle Mountain.

 

IMG_20230228_100927 Lake Dobson by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230228_100927 Lake Dobson by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230228_101857 Lake Dobson by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P2280557 Scarlet Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280612 Brown Thornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280632 Masked Lapwing by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280676_01 Female Pink Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280716 Scarlet Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ostHpg

]P2280747_01  Scarlet Robin[/url] by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Silvereye by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280806_01 Yellow Wattlebird by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280875  Scarlet Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We spotted another Echidna on our way back snuffling around the playground. So of course we spent some time with it. Back at the chalet, one of the White-bellied Sea Eagles posed well for a photo.

 

P2280943_01 Short-beaked Echidna by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281051 White-bellied Sea-Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Afterwards there was a bit more time to kill after lunch which I spent around the river before we headed off to our date with Tassie Bound Adventures on the Derwent River at 5 pm. 

We met our guides  Liam and Fiona Weaver of Tassie Bound Tours at Gretna just off the Lyell Highway, along with another participant named Nigel. The plan was to go kayaking on the river and spot platypus feeding at dusk.

 

These tours run every evening from October to April. We were provided with advice in advance that we should bring a swimsuit and change of clothing, as well as sunglasses, a cap or hat, a pair of shoes or sandals to wear on the river (they will get wet!). They also recommend a white long-sleeved shirt if possible. It is not recommended to bring a camera, but I did bring my Go pro. 

 

We were all given a safety briefing and advice on how to paddle the kayaks and then we pushed off into the river for a three hour cruise. There were a few small rapids initially on our route and I hit one of them straight on, getting rather soaked in the process (well that change of clothes would come in handy!) Then the river flattened out and we started to spot the platypus feeding. We saw three individuals. I had high hopes of obtaining some more underwater footage, but, try as I might, the platypus always seemed to stay a bit too far away from my kayak! 

 

 

We also passed a massive roost of cockatoos, which was quite a sight. The tour used to offer a locally prepared tasting platter “showcasing award-winning and hand-picked fresh produce”. Unfortunately owing to cutbacks and covid this has been replaced with homemade brownies. 

We didn’t need to worry about paddling back upriver as Fiona met us further down on the banks with the trailer and SUV. It was a very pleasant way to spend the early evening, and is undoubtedly a good opportunity to see platypus,  but unfortunately didn’t give me the opportunity to film platypus that I was hoping for. Additionally, as I only had my go pro I don’t really have any photos of this experience. Thankfully Tassie Bound adventures put some up on Facebook.

 

 

 

 

Watching Platypus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner we went for another walk around the campsite, spotting another Eastern Quoll alongside the usual brushies and paddys. 

 

P2281057_01 Brush-tailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281064_01 Tasmanian Pademelon by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281076_01 Brush-tailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[Atdahl]

A great couple of days at Mt Field Jo.  Congrats on seeing the pink robin and getting a MUCH better photo than I did when I glimpsed one at Cradle Mtn.   Also, awesome underwater platypus footage!

 

Alan

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks @Atdahlyes Mount Field was quite productive! 

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

Wednesday 1 March

 

Today we left Mount Field making the 162 km drive to South Bruny. It’s a journey of three hours and 15 minutes without stops, including the 15-minute ferry ride from Kettering. Since there are no big supermarkets on North Bruny, we stopped off at a local town to pick up supplies and get fuel before we boarded the ferry. Susie did include a suggestion of a stop at  Inverawe Native Gardens, Margate, but we decided to forgo that and push on to Bruny.

 

Whilst the car ferry can be very busy at peak times, especially weekends, and cannot be pre-booked, it runs hourly and we didn’t have too long to wait for our crossing. The car ferry crosses the D’Entrecasteaux Channel to Bruny Island which is in fact two islands, North and South Bruny, joined by a narrow isthmus known as The Neck (which is also a shearwater and penguin rookery- more on that later). We stopped off here briefly on our way to South Bruny and spotted Pied and Black Oystercatchers, White-faced Herons, Little Raven and Pacific Gulls. 

 

IMG_20230301_110022 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010077_01 Pied Oystercather by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010090 White-faced Heron by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010116 Pacific Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010126 Little raven by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We were booked to spend our next three nights at Lyenna Cottage which is a two bedroom cottage managed by Inala Nature Tours run by Dr Tonia Cochran. So we carried on to Inala, to check in. Inala Nature Tours own a 1500 acre Land for Wildlife property, Inala (which is the Aboriginal word for ‘peaceful place’) is a very special private Land for Wildlife reserve. Tonia is one of Australia’s top wildlife and birding guides. Inala has all 12 endemic birds and many mammals on the property. 

 

There is accommodation on the property itself but we were booked to stay at Lyenna cottage which was a drive away down towards the lighthouse. Staying there also gives you unlimited access to the garden, with the exception of a raptor photography hide which you have to pay extra for. We opted not to spend any time in the hide. 

 

We were eager to get settled, so we got directions about accessing the property and headed off to see where we were staying.  Lyenna Cottage is hardly what I would consider a cottage and is a lovely open plan property. It is off the grid and while it is very modern and well equipped with a high powered solar system there are some limits on power usage. The property is set in a tranquil and secluded location on South Bruny on 100 acres of surrounding eucalypt forest, it is a short walk through the brush to get down to the beachfront on Mickey’s Bay. 

 

A large living room and surrounding verandah give way to spectacular views to the west and we enjoyed an afternoon drink out there.  There is also a hidden waterhole, which took a bit of finding and wasn’t particularly productive when we were there. It has a bathroom with shower and separate bath, fully equipped kitchen, deck and BBQ. There are two wood heaters as well.

 

IMG_20230301_140359 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230302_180943 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230302_180945 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We were booked on an evening tour with Inala so we had an early dinner and then headed back to meet up with our wonderful guide for the night, Cat. We arrived early so spent a while exploring the Jurassic garden, spotting numerous New Holland Honeyeaters feeding on the red hot pokers.

 

P3010159 Scarlet Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010255  New Holland Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

New Holland Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010358 New Holland Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Once we met up with Cat, we were on our way north towards the neck. We first stopped for a Green Rosella by the roadside and then one of Bruny’s famous White Wallabies. 

 

P3010407_01 Green Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010416_01 Little Raven by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010471_01 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Whilst we were watching the wallaby we spotted an Eastern Quoll scampering in front of the wallaby. We were all surprised to see this nocturnal creature out before dusk and I was quick enough to snap a few shots off. 

 

P3010528  Eastern Quoll & White Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010514 Eastern Quoll & White Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010571  Eastern Quoll by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010589_01 White Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010637_01 White Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010672_01  White Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We arrived at The Neck around dusk and made our way to the top of the hill to look out over the ocean. There was a gathering crowd of hopeful penguin watchers, but unfortunately the penguins have declined to the extent that people would be lucky to see them here. We were here for another nocturnal spectacle, that of the short-tailed shearwaters returning to their chicks after dark. As the sun descended, the activity started to grow. First with a few shearwaters soaring over the cliffs, but soon their numbers grew and they started to descend to their burrows and their waiting chicks. It was quite a spectacle! We eventually left those still arriving and walked along the boardwalk, where we were able to view some of the shearwaters that had landed. Cat used a redlight to view them so as not to disturb them, so I’ve had to adjust them in post. 

 

 

IMG_20230301_200851 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230301_200858 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230301_202025 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230301_202719 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010729_01 Short-tailed Shearwater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010732_01  Short-tailed Shearwater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230301_210447 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We then carried on to the North Island to look for quolls and we were not disappointed. They seemed to be everywhere! After encountering a few on the road we came across a roadkill pademelon. One little Eastern Quoll with a near-naked tail was ripping into the carcass and as we sat in the car and watched several other quolls tried to muscle in on the banquet but all were shown a swift exit by this little bruiser! It was highly entertaining! The little quoll spent ages ripping into the tough hide of the pademelon as you can see from this video, furiously gnawing and ripping its way in like a furry crocodile, twisting upside-down to gain purchase on the flesh. Eventually it made its way inside the pademelon and was able to eat it’s fill, at this point we left it to its meal. 

 

P3010748  Eastern Quoll by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010763_01   Eastern Quoll by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3010826 Eastern Quoll by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

On the way back we encountered several more eastern quolls, despite how slow we were going we still almost collided with one that darted out in front of the car. It’s no wonder that the roads are littered with carcasses! Cat told us that it’s always advisable to stop and pull any fresh roadkill off to the side of the road to save any animals that might come to feed on them. Also, it’s very important to check the pouch of any marsupials in case a joey is in need of rescue. They are able to survive a few days in the pouch after their mother has passed away so there’s always hope that lives can be saved. 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by kittykat23uk

[Treepol]

Excellent quoll action on Bruny Jo. The photo of the white wallaby with the quoll must surely be unique.

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks @Treepol. I really wish we had stayed on site at inala as I would like to have booked a second night drive with Cat to try and find long nosed potoroo. Unfortunately they were full by the time we booked. 

 

The north island seemed to be far more productive than the grounds of Lyenna Cottage. I did spend a few hours spotlighting on foot around the property but saw very little and nothing new. Obviously if you go and are willing to brave the roads at night then it's definitely worth getting up there after dark. 

[kittykat23uk]

Thursday 2 March

We spent the morning around the Inala grounds. The property is divided into a couple of different sections, there is the public area which day visitors can access and this includes the Jurassic Garden. Tonia has recently developed her Jurassic Garden. Designed across five acres of gently undulating land and accessed by a winding path, Inala's Jurassic Garden gives visitors an insight into when Australia was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. Despite splitting apart 185 million years ago, much of the flora of Gondwana survives today. The Jurassic Garden shows how some species deviated as the continents drifted apart and how some species have remained relatively unchanged for literally millions of years. Almost four hundred species, thoughtfully planted in family groups, make it easy to compare and contrast how these living remnants have survived across a diverse array of environmental conditions. 

 

P3020052 Spotted Pardalote by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020058 Spotted Pardalote by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020138  Juvenile Black-headed Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020147  Juvenile Black-headed Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020150 Strong-billed Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

There is also the Inala Nature Museum which holds a collection of fossils, minerals and natural specimens that are carefully exhibited to display how they fit into the natural history of the world. There are strong connections between the Nature Museum and Jurassic Garden, with many of the ancient fossils on display also featuring as living versions just outside in the Garden. 

 

P3020163 Grey Shriketrhush by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020169 New Holland Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020187_01  New Holland Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

The other part of the property is only accessible to guests and includes the forty-spotted pardalote platform. The forty-spotted pardalote (Pardalotus quadragintus) is one of Australia's rarest birds and by far the rarest pardalote, being confined to a few colonies in the south-east corner of Tasmania, mainly on Maria Island and Bruny Island. These two islands contain 99% of the species' population; In 2009 there were 450 individuals on Bruny Island and 974 on Maria Island. A 2009 survey counted 1,486 birds at 54 of the 102 colonies surveyed; this compares with 3,840 individuals counted in 121 colonies in 1991 to 1997 – a loss of 47% of colonies.

 

P3020282_01 Forty-spotted Pardalote by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

The birds are found almost exclusively in dry eucalypt forests with high concentration of the Eucalyptus viminalis (white gum) where it forages for arthropods and manna (sugary exudates from leaves and branches). This species provides around 80% of the nestlings' diet. 

 

Forty-spotted pardalotes are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, introduced predators like sugar gliders, competitors, drought and poor dispersal ability. The Difficult Birds Research Group has also discovered a new threat for this species- parasitic screw worms that cause a significant amount of mortality amongst the nestlings..

 

Inala is a stronghold of the pardalotes and the platform is situated amongst a grove of white gums. This does not make them particularly easy to see, however, being that they are very tiny and like to spend time in the tops of the trees. It was also absolutely heaving with mosquitos, making the stake-out quite unpleasant, but I did eventually get brief views of the Forty-spotted Pardalote, which are in fact the dullest-looking of the three species found on Tasmania. Spotted Pardalotes were also present, showing better.

 

It may come as no surprise then, that I spent the rest of my time at Inala around the Jurassic Garden looking for showier birds and mammals. Here I spotted Swamp Antechinus (at least one of the ones I saw was identified as Swamp by one of the guides, whereas Dusky are also known to occur here) and Australian Swamp Rat (a native rodent). I also encountered Strong-billed Honeyeater, as well as some of the other honeyeaters previously recorded, particularly New Holland, Brown Falcon and the white morph of Grey Goshawk. 

 

P3020293  Tasmanian Pademelon by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020303  Tasmanian Pademelon by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020324_01 Australian swamp rat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020377_01 Brown Falcon by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020401 Swamp Antechinus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020427 New Holland Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020425 New Holland Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020445 Tasmanian Scrubwren by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020515 Grey Goshawk by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020564 Grey Goshawk by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Later on we headed down to the lighthouse to look for swift parrots, but unfortunately we didn’t find them. We did have luck with some distant Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos along with European Rabbits. The views of the basalt stacks were quite impressive. Overall, it was a pretty quiet day. A spotlighting session did not reveal much.
 

P3020596_01 Bruny Island by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230302_142322_1 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230302_143507 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020599 European Rabbit by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3020648 New Holland Honeyeater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

Friday 3 March

 

Susie booked us on the three-hour Bruny Island Cruise which departs from the Pennicott Wilderness Journeys office at Adventure Bay on South Bruny. On our way down we spotted a bunch of wallabies including another white one.

 

P3030022 Laughing Kookaburra by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030033 Grey Shrike-thrush Juvenile by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_075235 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030071 Bennet's Wallaby (white morph) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030091 Bennet's Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_095536 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030120_01 Silvereye by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

These cruises attract a huge crowd and are managed by a fleet of speedboats. The first part of the cruise focused on the geology of the area and took us to a sequence of sea caves and blowholes along the highest sea cliffs in the Southern Hemisphere. The boats they use are sturdy and manoeuvrable so the captain got us close into the sea caves, soaking some of the guests when one of the blowholes exploded! Thankfully they had provided us with some pretty sturdy souwesters to wear on the boat.  

 

P3030171_01  Great Crested Tern by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_112354 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_112414 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030201 Eagle Rock by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030208 Sea caves- Bruny Island Cruise by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_113138 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_114323 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030300 Waves crashing - Bruny Island Cruise by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

VID_20230303_115554 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

VID_20230303_115354 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_121405 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

As we traversed the edge of the Great Southern Ocean we spent a fair amount of time watching the activity at the Australian fur seal colony as the residents basked, argued and played in the surf.  Black-faced cormorants were also peppering the rocky coastline in more ways than one! 

 

IMG_20230303_122406 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030326 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030344 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030380 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030454 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030466 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030494 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030507 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030554 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030546 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030587 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030605 Black-faced Cormorants by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030620 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030640 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030641 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030648 Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030653  Australian fur seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030683_01 Cliffs Pennicott Bruny Island Cruise by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We then went further out and began searching for albatrosses and cetaceans. Shy and Buller’s Albatross skimmed over the water, alongside the much commoner short-tailed shearwaters.

 

P3030733 Shy Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030783 Shy Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030837_01 Buller's Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030850_01 Buller's Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030867_01  Buller's Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030873_01  Buller's Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030902_01 Short-tailed Shearwaters by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3030976_01 Buller's Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

It was not the right season for whales but just before we were due to head back we got word that some of the other boats had found a pod of common dolphins so we headed there to get a piece of the action. We enjoyed watching the dolphins around the boats but our time with them was all too brief as we soon had to return to shore. 

 

P3031037 Common Dolphin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031053 Common Dolphin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031122_01 Australasian Gannet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031132_01 Australasian Gannet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031137_01 Australasian Gannet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We’d booked a late lunch in the restaurant meeting up with fellow Safaritalker @Treepol. We spent a good portion of the afternoon chatting and laughing and drinking wine, comparing safari tales. We were the only guests remaining in the restaurant by the time we left and they were clearly planning to close. 

 

IMG_20230303_153212 by Jo Dale, on Flickr
 

After saying our goodbyes to Denise, we stopped off at Inala again on the way back, picking up Dusky Robin and another Swamp Antechinus.  After departing Inala we spotted a Wedge-tailed Eagle sitting in a field from the car as we passed. So we stopped and reversed up to get a better view. The Eagle took off but didn’t go far, perching in a tree. 

 

P3031185 Australian Black Duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031208  Dusky Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031217  Swamp Antichinus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_183220 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031270_01  Wedge-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031312_01 Wedge-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031459_01 Wedge-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3031482_01 Wedge-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

After we got back we spent some time relaxing on the deck with a nice glass of wine and watched the sunset over the bay. Another spotlighting session after dark did not reveal anything new.

 

IMG_20230303_194043 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_194106 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230303_201705 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[TonyQ]

Fascinating report, enjoying your photos.

Some really amazing creatures 

Great that you met up with @Treepol

Edited May 31, 2023 by TonyQ

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks @TonyQ

[kittykat23uk]

Saturday 4 March

 

Our final destination in Tasmania was Little Swanport where we would be spending our last three nights at Windsong B&B. So today it was time to pack up and leave Bruny Island. I managed to squeeze in some early morning birding before we left, spotting the usual kookaburras, yellow wattle-bird etc.

 

P3040053_03 Yellow Wattlebird by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3040205 Laughing Kookaburra by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3040247 Australian Reed Warbler by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_090950 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_090955 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_090958 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We managed to get a lead on a family of Tawny Frogmouths so we planned to stop off at Dru Point Park in Margate to try and locate them. Flocks of Galahs greeted us at the car park, along with a group of Maned Ducks. We entered the do walking area and began scanning the trees. It wasn’t long before we were able to find a family of three Tawny Frogmouths roosting in a large pine tree. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos made their presence known with their screeching cries as they fed on the pinecones in the tops of the trees. More Yellow Wattlebirds, Green Rosellas and Brown Thornbills provided further interest in the shaded woodland bordering a small reservoir as did a Common Bronzewing and Dusky Woodswallow as I returned to the greasy banks to enjoy the maned ducks and galahs.  

 

P3040321_01 Galah by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3040444 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3040565 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3040606_01 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3040685_01 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3040835 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3040981_01 Yellow Wattlebird by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041105 Green Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041129 Brown Thornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

The scenery looking out onto the bay was also rather picturesque and a pair of Australian Pelicans were foraging in the bay.

 

IMG_20230304_111759 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_111803 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_111808 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041170 Masked Lapwing by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041183 Common Bronzewing by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041187 Dusky Woodswallow by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041337 Galah by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041369_01 Galah by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041405 Maned Duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041420 Maned Duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041421_01 Galah by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041457 Australian pelican by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Susie recommended we stop in Richmond to pick up some provisions and so we did, stopping in at a delightful cafe and picking up some delicious cakes. We also popped our heads into Richmond’s premier tourist attraction, the Pooseum, providing education about defecation.

 

IMG_20230304_132730 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_132742 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_132837 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We then looked for a nice picnic spot and found a pretty little community garden replete with some very cool statues.   

 

IMG_20230304_143445 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_143544 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We were at risk of getting distracted from our wildlife viewing when we realised that we were now right in the heart of wine country with a vast array of local vineyards on our doorstep to sample. It would have been remiss of us if we didn’t make time to stop at a few. The first one we stopped in had a wine trail booklet that we could take away to plan out the rest of our stay.

 

ETA this vineyard was Frogmore Creek https://www.frogmorecreek.com.au/pages/dining-1 . We also stopped in at the Peter Rabbit Garden just down from the estate. It's a cute little garden that takes you along the story of Peter Rabbit, with little scenes from each part of the book dotted around. 

 

 

After tasting some of the produce we carried on to check in at Windsong B&B. Somewhat easier said than done when we couldn’t find the owners but one of the guests helpfully directed us to our rooms. 

 

Bennetts Wallabies and Noisy Miners were a common sight around the lodge and at night the place came alive with a myriad of brush-tailed possums. I didn’t manage to spot anything rarer than that on this occasion despite going for quite a long walk. 

 

P3041483 Noisy Miner by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041495 Noisy Miner by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230304_163411 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041564

P2250391 Bennetts (red-necked) wallaby - Notamacropus rufogriseus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041568 P2250391 Bennetts (red-necked) wallaby - Notamacropus rufogriseus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041571

P2250391 Bennetts (red-necked) wallaby - Notamacropus rufogriseus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2250391 Bennetts (red-necked) wallaby - Notamacropus rufogriseus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041605 P2250391 Bennetts (red-necked) wallaby - Notamacropus rufogriseus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041621_01 Brush-tailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041644_01 Brush-tailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041673_01 Brush-tailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041681 Brush-tailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041697_01 Brush-tailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3041716_01 Brush-tailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

Edited June 17, 2023 by kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

Sunday 5 March

 

Wind Song is a 220 hectare heritage farming property about 5 km off the main road down a track, surrounded by native gardens and wildlife including many inquisitive wallabies and native birds. Tom and Jane have recently made headlines by generously handing a significant portion of their land back to the Aboriginal Community which has made national headlines and Susie’s company has donated to this worthy cause. Breakfast provisions are included and were very generous. The accommodation gives you the option to self cater, or you can pre-book dinner ($35 for 2 courses). We opted to prebook one night and self cater for the rest. 

 

Today we were heading to Maria Island. Susie suggested two options for us to consider. 

 

The ferry with Encounter Maria  (approx. $50 pp) runs several times a day. It takes 30 minutes to cross the Mercury Passage, with lovely views up the east coast towards Freycinet. You dock at Darlington, very close to the World Heritage listed penal settlement, from where you can walk for miles, including scaling the two peaks of Mt Maria and Mt Bishop & Clerk, or hire bikes and cover even more ground. There are no shops, restaurants or even rest amenities and minimal shelter, although there are lots of wonderful places in which to enjoy a picnic, so you must ensure you take all your provisions for the day with you. The ferry usually runs twice in the morning (roughly 830 am and 1030 am) returning in the afternoon (230 pm and 430 pm) – bookings are essential.

 

The day cruise with East Coast Cruises run by local Mike Davis (currently $265 pp including lunch and guided walk) runs from 830 am to 430 pm approximately, and includes visits into the extraordinary sea caves and along the 250 million year old fossil cliffs as well as a salad bowl lunch of your choice in a secluded bay and a two hour guided walk on the island to spot the abundant wildlife and Darlington, the World Heritage Settlement that pre-dates Port Arthur. The cruise runs two different tours on alternate days – Circumnavigation of Maria or Ile Des Phoques (Isle of seals). They may change subject to weather, and both include a two hour guided walk. Bookings are essential – for further information please visit www.eastcoastcruises.com.au and advise if you wish me to make a booking.

 

We opted for the day cruise with East Coast Cruises. The weather was not ideal for the start of our trip with heavy rain on the way to catch the ferry. We arrived rather early but the rain cleared and I spotted some Musk Lorikeets and Little Wattlebird feeding in the trees. A rather bedraggled Australian Magpie foraged on the ground. Upon boarding the boat, our captain informed us that he was undecided as to which route he would take us as the weather was quite iffy. In any case we headed out and passed a raft of Black-faced Cormorants. 

 

P3050267 Musk lorikeet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050307 Little Wattlebird by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050349 Australian magpie by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050438  Black-faced cormorant by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050479_01 Black-faced cormorant by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Maria Island is a lovely island National Park, situated 15km off the East Coast of Tasmania. It is in fact two landmasses joined in the middle by a long sandy isthmus, with stunning beaches on either side. Including its marine area, the National Park is 22km long and 12km wide. The beaches are pure white granite sand.  Maria Island is also a Noah’s Ark for endangered wildlife, including Tasmanian devils, and all 12 endemic birds. It has no resident human population, just two park rangers. It also has a penal settlement that pre-dates Port Arthur, Darlington a very short walk from the ferry jetty. 

 

P3050491 Cape Barren Goose by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

This is where we were headed. On the way, we spied Cape Barren Goose and a pair of Chestnut Teal dabbling in the surf. Welcome Swallows welcomed us. Maria Island is renowned as a great place to see Common Wombat. It wasn’t long before we saw our first one, crossing the road in front of use as we headed up into Darlington. Upon arrival, a blue phone box made me do a double take, but it wasn’t a police phone box. 

 

P3050509 Maria Island by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050524 Chestnut Teal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050555 Welcome Swallow by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050565 Chestnut teal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050579_01 Cape Barren Goose by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050583 Common Wombat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050595_01  Common Wombat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050603 Phone box by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Green Rosellas and Tasmanian Pademelons hung out around the few buildings making up Darlington. We also came across Tasmanian Native Hens and a beautiful Flame Robin that posed nicely. 

 

P3050707_01 Green Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050712_01 Tasmanian Pademelon by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050723  Cape Barren Goose by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050731_01 Tasmanian Pademelon by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050741 Tasmanian Native Hen by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050798 Flame Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050802 Flame Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050816 Flame Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

It actually seemed like wombats were thin on the ground according to our guide, who frequently encounters over a dozen in a short walk. She did eventually locate another individual, who was rather soggy and then we were delighted to find a mother and very young joey not far from this individual. They were a delight to watch! 

 

P3050847 Common Wombat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3050991 Common Wombat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Bennetts Wallabies were also common in the wooded area but there was another macropod here, Forester Kangaroo! My first species of kangaroo on this holiday! 

 

P3051031 Bennett's Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051045_01 Forrester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051105_01 Forrester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Forester is a sub-species of Eastern Grey Kangaroo, and collectively they are the second largest marsupial in the world after Red Kangaroo. We came across a mother feeding a rather large Joey in the shade of a copse of trees. Then a small gang of them came bounding across the hillside. 

 

P3051144_01 Forester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051145_01

Forester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051187 Forrester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051209 Forrester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051222_01 Forrester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051242 Forrester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051253_01 Forrester Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

As we continued around the hill we were able to appreciate the spectacular views. Then we found another wombat with an older joey. I spent my remaining time on the island grabbing a few snaps but soon it was time to go back for a cruise around the islands. With more time here, we could have enjoyed many walks and maybe even a bike ride around Maria Island, although the hire of these must be ordered in advance.

 

IMG_20230305_121629 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_121637 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051318 Common Wombat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051332 Common Wombat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

As we headed around the island we spotted a pair of White-bellied Sea Eagles. Maria Island is also renowned for its unique geology. We passed by the white sandy beaches and painted sandstone cliffs that have been sculpted by the erosive power of the ocean and wind. The geology changed and we passed towering limestone cliffs, before heading into a shallow sandy bay to have our salad bowl lunch. A stingray glided under the calm sea as we ate. 

 

P3051389 White-bellied sea eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051395 White-bellied sea eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051480 White-bellied sea eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_132259 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_134857 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_140121 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_143626 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051486 Stingray by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_150304 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We carried on around the island, and stopped off at a small Australian Fur Seal colony resting on, I think, the ancient granite cliffs. 

 

P3051498 Australian Fur Seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051581 Australian Fur Seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051652 Australian Fur Seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_151315 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_151346 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_151351 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230305_152932 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

After departing the boat we headed back to Windsong. I think we stopped off at https://boomercreekvineyard.com.au/pages/cellar-door and tried a few wines, although that could have been a different day as we did stop in at a few different vineyards during our three days. Here we also bought some nice cheese.

 

We got back to the B&B, the wallabies and noisy miners keeping us entertained whilst we enjoyed some sundowners and it wasn’t long before we were sitting down to a delicious meal prepared by the owners. 

 

P3051670 Bennett's wallaby (Red-necked Wallaby) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051682 Bennett's wallaby (Red-necked Wallaby) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051688 Bennett's wallaby (Red-necked Wallaby) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051700  Bennett's wallaby (Red-necked Wallaby) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051723_01 Noisy Miner by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051737_01 Noisy Miner by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051754 Bennett's wallaby (Red-necked Wallaby) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051776_01 Bennett's wallaby (Red-necked Wallaby) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051783 Bennett's wallaby (Red-necked Wallaby) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

After dark I went for some spotlighting and was delighted to find another Tawny Frogmouth in the avenue of trees lining the entrance track. Brushies once again rounded out the night.

 

P3051876 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051940 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3051983 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3052008 Common Brushtail Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

ETA: Here's a video of the Wombats:

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by kittykat23uk
added video

[janzin]

This all looks so amazing, it is clear that we need to spend more time on Tasmania than I'd originally thought (although those plans have been put on hold again for a bit.)

 

Did you check to see if the blue phone box was bigger on the inside than the outside?

[kittykat23uk]

Lol no it looked normal size on the inside 😂

[kittykat23uk]

Monday 6 March

 

Around Windsong first thing, I spotted a new bird, the colourful Eastern Spinebill.  For our last day we took a drive to the scenic Freycinet Peninsula. The peninsula has formed over 400 million years. The tectonic activity below the earth’s surface resulted in the separation of a large granite mass. The extent of this granite can be seen from Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, then down to the Kent Group, Flinders Island, the East Coast of Tasmania, with the most southerly signs being two rocks off the Tasman Peninsula. Freycinet is effectively two eroded blocks of granite joined by a sand isthmus. These are the Hazards and the Mt Graham/Mt Freycinet sections of the peninsula. The low lying isthmus joining these areas was built from accumulated gravels that eroded from the mountains and washed into their current place by higher sea levels. When the sea receded the isthmus was exposed. 

Most people visit the Freycinet Peninsula to bush walk, with a number of options ranging from the several hour trek into Wineglass Bay and around the Hazards to the much easier Sleepy Bay walk, the Cape Tourville Lookout Walk and the Friendly Beaches Walk. Many species of birds live in or stop over at Freycinet and the surrounding area. We first took a drive to the lighthouse and had a wander around there. 

 

P3060015 Eastern Spinebill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060016  Eastern Spinebill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_103133 Freycinet Peninsula by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_104400 Freycinet Peninsula by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_104706 Freycinet Peninsula by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We took a look at an Aboriginal shell midden. Aboriginal shell middens are distinct concentrations of shell. They contain evidence of past Aboriginal hunting, gathering and

food processing. These middens consist primarily of concentrations of discarded shell and bone, botanical remains, ash and charcoal. Middens are a valuable archaeological resource not only for what they reveal about Aboriginal dietary habits, but also the technology that was utilized in gathering and processing food, seasonal trends of species exploitation, and also how humans adapted to environmental changes. They are considered relics and therefore protected.

 

IMG_20230306_112634 Freycinet Peninsula Aboriginal Midden by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Later we took a walk along one of the beautiful sandy beaches, spotting Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers. We then headed up to the top of the cliffs to enjoy the view whilst we had a bite to eat. On the way out we stopped off at Moulting Lagoon Game Reserve, just outside the park on the Coles Bay Road, a wetland of international importance and is also worth a visit. Brown Thornbill,  Little Wattlebirds and Grey Fantail were in evidence here.

  

P3060134  Sooty Oystercatcher by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060188  Sooty Oystercatcher by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060224 Pied Oystercatcher by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060232 Pied Oystercatcher by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060282_01 Silver Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_121628 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060304 Brown Thornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060331 Superb Fairy Wren by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060363_01 Grey Fantail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060491_01 Little Wattlebird by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We also popped into a couple of vineyards on the way back. Devil’s Corner https://eastcoastwinetrail.com.au/winery/devils-corner-cellar-door/ , which had spectacular views over the valley, where we were able to sample a tasting paddle of wines. I think I had a couple of their pinot noirs and a rose. They were all nice, but not what I would say stand out. 

If memory serves I think we also planned to stop off at https://craigieknowe.com.au/cellar-door/ a vineyard renowned not just for its wine but also for their cakes. Unfortunately when we arrived, they were just closing up for a private function from a rather swish nearby resort so we were not able to stay and sample the wines. We were, however, able to select a few tempting cakes to take away.  

 

IMG_20230306_134839 Devil's Corner Vineyard by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_135333 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_135910 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_135916 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_140335 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Then we popped into Kate's Berry farm https://katesberryfarm.com/ and sampled their range of jams, picking up a few treats for our last night.

 

IMG_20230306_150139 View from Kate's Berry Farm by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We also stopped at the local landmark “Spikey Bridge”. For the history buffs I’ve provided some information below. 

 

IMG_20230306_151111 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_151139 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_151139 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_151139 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_151258 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_151426 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_151524 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Back at Windsong we still had a few hours before sunset so I went for a walk back along the entrance track, spotting a Wedge-tailed eagle, Brown Falcon and Eastern Rosellas, which gave me the runaround. After dinner I did a bit of spotlighting. The Tawny Frogmouth was there again as were the Brushies. But no other creatures of note.

 

P3060528_01 Wedge-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060614_01 Common Bronzewing by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060644_01 Brown Falcon by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060678_01 Eastern Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060701_01 Eastern Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060777_01 Green Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060786 Sheep by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230306_182004 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060856_01 Common Brushtailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060891_01 Common Brushtailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060902_01 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060914 Common Brushtailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3060933_01 Common Brushtailed Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

Tuesday 7 March

 

Today it was sadly time to head back to the mainland so we packed up and headed off to catch our flights from Hobart. After dropping off our hire car I said farewell to Elaine as she was due to get a different flight to me. It was mid afternoon by the time I’d made it back to the Atlantis Hotel and got settled in, but there was still a few hours of daylight left so I decided to take a tram to Royal Park. The nearest tram station for that route was a short walk through Flagstaff Gardens, itself a nice little green park to spend some time. Here they advise you not to feed the possums as it attracts rats and I certainly saw a few of these unwelcome rodents as I wandered through. I also spotted a sleeping Brush-tailed Possum in the daylight for once as well as some common birds including Magpie-lark and the gaudy Rainbow Lorikeets. 

 

P3070037 Magpie-lark by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070046_01 Brown Rat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070057_01 Brown Rat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070100_01 Rainbow Lorikeet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230307_163405 Flagstaff Gardens by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070159 Common Brushtail Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Royal Park is about a 20-30 min tram ride from there, and is quite expansive. In fact, Royal Park is the largest open space in the City of Melbourne, covering 170 hectares. It is protected under the Victorian Heritage Register and its vast treed native vegetation landscape is an oasis on the edge of the city. It is also the location of Melbourne Zoo.

 

The area that I explored was Trin Warren Tam-boore (Bellbird waterhole), This is an urban wetland located in the north-west of Royal Park. It’s designed to treat stormwater run-off from surrounding suburbs, provide habitat for wildlife and deliver recycled water for use in parks.

 

The wetland consists of two linked ponds over five hectares of land. The ‘treatment wetland’ acts as a natural filter, where Australian native plants treat and clean stormwater through natural biological processes. The processed clean water then goes to the ‘storage wetland’ which is used to irrigate areas of Royal Park, while the remainder flows through to Port Phillip Bay.

 

There is a walking trail that tells you about the features, functions and wildlife of this urban wetland. The suggested trail takes 90-minutes to complete, dogs are not allowed within this precinct.

 

Willie Wagtails were present and a new bird for the trip came in the form of Bell Miner. Cormorants and Australian Black Ducks were to be found on the ponds. A few sulphur-crested cockatoos flew high overhead and various bushbirds skulked in the shrubs, most of which I’d managed to get better photos of earlier in the trip. 

 

P3070199 Willy Wagtail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070212 Willy Wagtail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070248 Bell Miner by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070267  Bell Miner by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070302 Australian Black Duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070337 Australian Magpie by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070350 Great Cormorant by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070363 White-breasted Cormorant by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3070389 Spotted dove by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230307_184747 Melbourne by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Returning to my hotel around 7 I headed out to look for some dinner and found myself a lovely all you can eat Korean bbq restaurant just a couple of blocks behind the hotel. I then got an early night, ready for the next couple of intense days birding and mammaling with Treeswift tours. 

[kittykat23uk]

In case anyone is interested I've added a video of the wombats to the Maria Island section.

[Atravelynn]

Simply amazing what you saw, including what looks like a UFO in the sky. 

[Kitsafari]

all caught up now. Australia has such adorable mammal life and diversity of birdlife and you've captured them so well. Great to see three of you at the GTG!

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks both, glad you are enjoying it! 

[kittykat23uk]

Wednesday 8 March

 

As mentioned, I had booked a 2 day one night tour with Treeswift Wildlife Tours. I would not say that working with Treeswift was particularly plain sailing. I originally enquired to do a private tour based on their Aussie Icons Itinerary, and I received a quote for which was AUD $1650 ($825 per person) based on 2 sharing or  AUD $1500 for one person. To secure my spot I agreed to pay the full amount for one person and gave them the deposit of half the amount but made it clear to them that I would be keen to get at least one additional person to join me and they agreed to advertise the tour for me. This actually didn’t happen and by christmas I started to advertise the trip on relevant facebook groups attracting some interest. 

 

One gentleman from the US, Devin, was particularly keen, but when we contacted Treeswift they informed us that the original price quoted had gone up. Neither of us were particularly happy with this and after a bit of negotiation they agreed to the original quote if we shared a room. Not ideal but I’m not precious about that so we agreed. We then had another couple of ladies who were interested, but Treeswift then informed us that the max the vehicle could take was 3 people- so a lady called Jessica joined us but  I had to let the other lady down. The addition of one other pax did not reduce the cost further but we were at least able to have single rooms. There were other issues that I won’t go into, but it was not the most pleasant booking experience to be honest. They also only accept bank transfer and would not allow me to pay the remaining small balance of $75 AUD in cash on arrival, costing me almost as much in bank transfer fees! 

 

I had also said that I was very interested in mammals and birds and would particularly like to focus on stuff I wouldn’t see in Tasmania. Also as it came at the end of the tour there might need to be some tweaking of targets, so it would have been nice if we could have included satin bowerbird for instance, but this flexibility didn’t really materialise and we ended up covering some of the sites I’d already been to. Despite this, we still saw some good wildlife.

 

After picking us up at our hotels our first stop was Dandenong Ranges National Park- O'Donohue’s Picnic Ground in Sherbrooke Forest. O'Donohue Picnic Ground are located in Sherbrooke Forest, the largest section of the Dandenong Ranges National Park. It's an area that can feel very far removed from civilisation. A number of walking trails start from the picnic grounds, entering a fantastic rainforest of spectacular Mountain Ash, stringybark, lush tree ferns and waterfalls. 

 

A Laughing Kookaburra perched on one of the track signs as we got out of the car. Our key target here was Superb Lyrebird. We were delighted to spot a male bird off the track, unfortunately he disappeared off into cover before I could get a shot. We also came across a female and immature and whilst we did have brief views of them perched up in the open, they were also too quick for my camera!

 

We spotted two White-throated Treecreepers and the rare Red-browed Treecreeper, which was calling, then found in Blackwood. It was very cool to see them so well.  We had great views of several small flocks and pairs of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo as well as a lovely male Rose Robin and Eastern Yellow Robins.

 

P3080001_01 Laughing Kookaburra by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080032_01 Red-browed Treecreeper by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230308_081429 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080404_02  White-throated Treecreeper by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080408_01 Eastern Yellow Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080451 Rose Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Other birds seen included, Silvereye, Superb Fairywren, Red Wattlebird, White-naped Honeyeater, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Eastern Whipbird, Grey Shrikethrush, Golden Whistler (female), Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong and Little Raven. 

 

P3080472_01 Grey Butcherbird by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080481 Waterfall by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230308_085256 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080609_01 Eastern Yellow Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080615 Eastern Yellow Robin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080645 Golden Whistler Female by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080700_01  Golden Whistler Female by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080710 Swamp Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080754_01 Striated Thornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We moved on to Grant’s Picnic Ground. Here we had fantastic views of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Crimson Rosella, Long-billed Corella and a male and female pair of Australian King Parrot- A stunning parrot! Other birds seen include Grey Fantail and Striated Thornbill.

 

P3080823 Crimson Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080899_01  Sulphur-crested Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080914 Australian King-Parrot by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081016 Australian King-Parrot by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081045 Australian King-Parrot by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081048_01 Australian King-Parrot by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081062 Crimson Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081099_01 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081108_02 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081130_01 Leopard Slug by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081143_01 White-throated Needletail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081188_01 Waves crashing by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

After leaving Sherbrooke Forest we headed down towards Wilson’s Prom to spend the afternoon. En route along the Bass Highway we spotted a flock of 160 White-throated Needletails. At Cape Liptrap we sighted Spotted Dove (Eastern), Scanning offshore produced Silver Gull, Pacific Gull, Great Crested Tern, over 750 Short-tailed Shearwaters, a few Australasian Gannet and a Wedge-tailed Eagle. In the scrub we observed Superb Fairywren, New Holland Honeyeater, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill and  Australian Magpie (White-backed). The wind was getting pretty vicious on the coast and waves were benign whipped up. 

 

We stopped at Fish Creek to check in our accommodation and have some lunch. The motel is situated opposite a roost of over 500 Little Corella alongside smaller numbers of  Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Galah and Rainbow Lorikeet. Other birds around included, Little Wattlebird, Red Wattlebird, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Common Starling and Common Myna.

P3081256_01 Little Corella by Jo Dale, on Flickr
 

P3081280_01 Little Corella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081295 Little Corella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081322 Little Corella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

After lunch we headed on to Wilson’s Prom. It was really starting to get very gusty and squally at this point. In the grasslands of Wilson’s prom we came across over 40 swamp wallabies and huge mobs of Eastern Grey Kangaroos (over 35 individuals). One mob in particular was bedecked with colourful collars - part of a longstanding research project.

 

P3081323_01 Swamp Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr  

 

P3081327 Swamp Wallaby by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081337 Little Raven by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081384 Eastern Grey Kangaroos by Jo Dale, on Flickr
 

 

One of the most surprising encounters of the trip. A Parasitic Jaeger (aka Arctic Skua) was seen soaring over the airfield & heathland of Vereker around 5km from the coast. Momentarily chased by a Forest Raven, but far out manoeuvring its pursuer. Gusts of 70-80kms per hour we assumed had sent the bird inland. 

Strutting across the grassland amongst the Kangaroos was a solitary Emu. 

 

P3081411  Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081425_01 Arctic Skua (Parasitic Jaeger) by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081479  Emu by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081513 Emu by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081540 Eastern Grey Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081560 Eastern Grey Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081563 Eastern Grey Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081579 Eastern Grey Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We carried onto Lilly Pilly Gully, spotting a pair of Gang-gang Cockatoos flying passed on our drive in. Here we spent a lot of the afternoon and also returned in the evening. During our afternoon walk we spotted a female Rose Robin, Eastern Spinebill, incredible extended views (for about 20 mins) of Beautiful Firetail juveniles feeding with 1 adult. Crimson Rosellas and Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos put on a good show. More skulky  were Eastern Whipbird, Grey Shrikethrush, Golden Whistler and Grey Butcherbird. Also noted were female Rose Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Golden-headed Cisticola, Welcome Swallow, Silvereye and Common Starling.

 

P3081609_01 Pacific Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081680 Eastern Grey Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081698 Eastern Grey Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081719 Eastern Grey Kangaroo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081732 Fungi by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081740 Orchid? by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081769_01 Eastern Spinebill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081822_01 Eastern Spinebill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081855 Eastern Spinebill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3081898_01  Rose Robin female by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3082141 Beautiful Firetail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3082166  Beautiful Firetail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3082173_01 Crimson Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3082197_01 Crimson Rosella by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3082228_01 Beautiful Firetail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230308_184420  Lilly Pilly Gully by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230308_184933  Lilly Pilly Gully by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

IMG_20230308_190857  Lilly Pilly Gully by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080143_02 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080163_02 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080200_01 Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Other birds in the vicinity of Wilson’s prom and Cotter’s Lake included Pacific Black Duck, Grey Teal, Sooty Oystercatcher, Silver Gull, Pacific Gull, Great Crested Tern, Little Pied Cormorant, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Laughing Kookaburra, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Australian King-Parrot, White-throated Treecreeper, Southern Emu Wren, Superb Fairywren, Red Wattlebird, Crescent Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, White-browed Scrubwren, Brown Thornbill, Striated Thornbill, Magpie-lark, Little Raven, Forest Raven, Flame Robin at the Airfield & Lilly Pilly, Grey Fantail (alisteri- local race) and Grey Fantail (albiscapa - returning birds from Tassie). 

 

A Striated Fieldwren was heard calling at Cotters Lake, bunkering down underneath wind gusts. Five Blue-winged Parrots were sighted flying over at Cotters Beach. Possibly newly arrived Tasmanian birds. Unfortunately the wind made it difficult to relocate them. 

 

Back at Lilly Pilly, a Brown Gerygone was singing at dusk. A Mountain Brushtail Possum was a nocturnal highlight along with 8 Common Ringtail Possum. Unfortunately most other nocturnal mammals were hiding as I was disappointed not to see any gliders or pygmy possums. We had great views of two different Tawny Frogmouth along Lilly Pilly Gully walk and then another bird feeding on moths on the main road on the way back. Over the course of the drive back we encountered but didn’t stop for 8 Common Wombat. Along Lilly Pilly we spotted a  Southern Boobook, and then we got to have an incredible close encounter of another  Southern Boobook owl along the road on exit.

P3080231_01 Common Ringtail Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

P3080246_01 Common Ringtail Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080362 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080389 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080409_01  Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080478_01 Mountain Brushtail Possum by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080490 Coprosma Hawk Moth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080625_01  Australian Boobok Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080632  Australian Boobok Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3080669 Tawny Frogmouth by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Other critters of note included 

5x White-striped Freetailed Bat

10x Eastern Smooth Frog (heard only)

3x Southern Brown Tree Frog (heard only)

 

4x Spotted Galaxias

12x Coprosma Hawk Moth

2x Black-scaped Bull Ant

1x Varied Sword-grass Brown

25x Yellow Admiral

Edited June 26, 2023 by kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

A video of the Boobook and the Mountain Brushie