| Sun 27 |  | Lewin's Rail
Oyster Cove |
|
| A single male Lewin's Rail foraging along the water's edge where the rivulet goes below the bridge on the public walkway between Manuka Rd and the aboriginal land off Old Station Rd. |
| Els Wakefield and Karen Tie 27/7 #218896 |
| | Welcome Swallow
Margate area |
| Flying high above the Margate area, regularly. First saw it one or two weeks ago, but was unable to identify positively. Seems very early. |
| Campbell Macfarlane 27/7 #218884 |
| | Pallid Cuckoo
Copping |
| One calling from woodland 2 km west of Copping, to north of Arthur Highway. |
| Simon Grove 27/7 #218880 |
| | Welcome Swallow
Boomer Bay |
| One flying over Arthur Highway near Boomer Bay turnoff, Dunalley. |
| Simon Grove 27/7 #218879 |
| | Cattle Egret
Marion Bay |
| At least 16 cattle egrets, plus at least 28 white-faced herons, in irrigated paddock by roadside overlooking Marion Bay. |
| Simon Grove 27/7 #218878 |
| Sat 26 | | Blue-billed Duck
Mudwalls Dam |
| 9 Blue-billed Duck on Mudwalls Dam; male and female. |
| Els Wakefield and Hazel Britton 27/7 #218898 |
| | Blue-winged Parrot
Orielton Lagoon |
| We walked in from Shark Point Road looking for waders. We spotted a group of 14 Blue-winged Parrots feeding on the samphire. Also saw a group of 7 Eastern Curlews and many small waders that were too far away to identify without a scope (the tide was quite low). |
| Paul Tildesley 26/7 #218868 |
| | Royal Spoonbill
Susie Islet |
| Five Royal Spoonbill sunning themselves in afternoon sun on top and along shore of Susie Islet in Orielton Lagoon. |
| Els Wakefield and Hazel Britton 26/7 #218866 |
| Tue 22 | | Blue-billed Duck, Banded Lapwing
King Island |
|
| Approximately 20 Blue-billed Ducks, along with an assemblage of other waterfowl including Australasian Shovelers, Hardheads, Musk Ducks, Chestnut Teal, Hoary-headed Grebes and Eurasian Coots at Attrill’s Lagoon, southern end of King Island. Adjacent population of over 100 Greylag Geese and a few Cape Barren Geese. Nearby paddock had numerous Banded Lapwings, at least one with attendant chicks. The ‘plastics’ all appear to be in great numbers, with California Quail, Wild Turkey, Indian Peafowl and Common Pheasant all seen within two hours of arrival on island. |
| John Weigel and Glen Pacey 22/7 #218799 |
| Sun 20 | | Providence Petrel, Northern and Southern Royal Albatross, Southern Giant Petrel
Eaglehawk Neck pelagic |
| 23 seabird species on the Sunday pelagic. Highlights were close approaches by a white morph Southern Giant Petrel, both Northern and Southern Royal Albatross and both Providence and White-headed Petrel. Further information |
| Rohan Clarke et al. 25/7 #218849 |
| Sat 19 | | Grey, Blue, White-headed Petrel, Southern Royal Albatross
Eaglehawk Neck pelagic |
| 5 Grey Petrels, 1 Blue Petrel, 3 White-headed Petrels, 4 Southern Royal Albatross were some of the more unusual species amongst a list of 27 seabird species off Eaglehawk Neck. Further information |
| Rohan Clarke et al. 25/7 #218848 |
| | Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Taroona Park |
| One bird calling from gum trees in the morning. |
| Simon Grove 19/7 #218737 |
| Wed 16 | | Welcome Swallow
Bass Highway, 2 km east of Rocky Cape turnoff |
| One flying over road. |
| Simon Grove 19/7 #218738 |
| Tue 15 | | Brown Quail
Roaring Beach Road |
| Eight Brown Quail were flushed out of long grass near the road on a vacant block just back from the beach. |
| Cath de Little 16/7 #218723 |
| | Striated Fieldwren
Esperance Coast Road, near Big Roaring Beach |
| A male fieldwren singing loudly on a fallen trunk, wagging its tail sideways. It was answered by a second wren 20m away on fence post. |
| Cath de Little 16/7 #218722 |
| Sun 13 | | Whimbrel
Far NW |
| 3 Whimbrel seen at Wallaby Island., west of Robins Island. After being disturbed from their high tide roost by a Sea Eagle one bird chased the Sea Eagle for 5 minutes. A very amusing sight. |
| Frank Wilson 15/7 #218688 |
| | Grey Petrel
Eaglehawk Pelagic |
|
| 1 Grey Petrel, zoomed past about midday. |
| Kevin Bartram 14/7 #218683 |
| | Blue Petrel
Eaglehawk Pelagic |
|
| 2 seen in deep water. Quite confiding & exciting to watch. |
| Kevin Bartram & those aboard the Pauletta 14/7 #218682 |
| | Slender-billed Prion
Eaglehawk Pelagic |
|
| 1 Slender-billed Prion (as confirmed by photograph). Note very slender bill, far too slender from the side for an Antarctic Prion. Also shots more front on show a narrow bill. This primary character combined with very broad white supercilium & white lores identify as Slender billed. Also less significant, but in keeping with Slender-billed were: quite a short collar, dull greyish blue upperparts (more bluish in Antarctic) with an indistinct M marking (slightly more distinct in Antarctic). Some photos show a very narrow black tail band (usually broader in Antarctic). |
| Kevin Bartram & those aboard the Pauletta 14/7 #218681 |
| | Blue Petrel (2), Grey Petrel (1) and Slender-billed Prion (1)
Eaglehawk Pelagic |
| HIghlights from this trip include two Blue Petrels giving close and extended views while dancing over the slick, a couple of fly-bys from a single Grey Petrel and an extended, if generally distant, visit from a (probably) lone Slender-billed Prion. |
| Paul Brooks and all aboard the Pauletta 14/7 #218675 |
| | Grey Goshawk (white morph)
Greens Beach Road, just outside Beaconsfield |
| Was feeding on roadkill at side of road about 200 metres from Beaconsfield northern boundary. Gary threw the wallaby into a paddock - when we returned several hours later, goshawk was still feeding on it (now safely in the paddock). |
| Deborah Wilson & Gary Koch 13/7 #218649 |
| Sat 12 | | Tasmanian Masked Owl
Eaglehawk Neck |
|
| 1 female on the side of the Blowhole Road about 500 past turnoff from Arthur HWY. Appears to be eating roadkill. It refused to leave it's prey and displayed at me, rather than fly off. |
| Kevin Bartram 14/7 #218684 |
| | Little Egret
Far NW |
| Single bird on tidal mudflats between Woolnorth and Kangaroo Is. Species also seen here 2 years ago. |
| Richard Ashby 13/7 #218644 |
| | Kelp Gull
Far NW |
| Single bird heard but not seen on mudflats between Woolnorth and Kangaroo Is, our most westerly sighting to date.
A pair of non-breeding adult birds present on Sisters Isl off Sisters Beach for the last 10 years has not been evident so far this year. One of them may have died, although one or two birds put in a sporadic appearance in the vicinity of Rocky Cape.
Hazel Britton found an immature at Ulverstone recently and they used to be present (may still be) on the breakwater at Burnie Harbour.
There were NW sightings in the Old Atlas (1984) and David Thomas' Tasmanian Bird Atlas (1979) but none at all in the New Atlas (2003).
The species is firmly ensconced in the SE and E Coast but seems to be struggling to gain a foothold in the north and west - so far. |
| Richard Ashby and Michael Hyland 13/7 #218643 |
| Thu 10 | | Banded Lapwing
Stonehouse Farm, Stonehouse Rd |
| Two birds on a ploughed field north of Stonehouse farm house. A regular spot for them but fewer this time although difficult to spot so there may have been more. |
| Els Wakefield 15/7 #218703 |
| | White-necked Heron
C305 East of Ross |
| About ten minutes drive east of Ross, a solitary bird was feeding near a flock of 7 ravens in a field below a large pivot irrigator to the right of the road. Although it was a distant view, the bird was unmistakable. |
| Els Wakefield 11/7 #218601 |
| Tue 8 | | Blue-billed Duck
Ellesmere Dam (Mud Walls Dam) |
| Ten birds, mixed sex. Also nice to see a small flock of White-fronted Chats in a non-saline environment. |
| Richard Ashby 9/7 #218580 |
| Sun 6 | | Banded Lapwing
2 Banded Lapwing |
| Sighted in a field near Davis Rd turnoff to Baden while traveling from Tunnack towards Mt Seymour along C312 New Country Marsh Rd. |
| Els Wakefield 15/7 #218704 |
| Fri 4 | | Little Egret
Sorell Causeway |
| Seen this morning feeding in the shallows on the south eastern corner of the causeway, ie at the Sorell end. |
| Els Wakefield 4/7 #218493 |