A One-Legged Seagull In Swansea

Posted on November 11, 2014 by Tara

After a morning of birding in Freycinet, it was time to hit the road and head back to Hobart. Swansea is about an hour’s drive from Coles Bay and makes a good lunch stop. There are a few take-aways and sit-down cafes to choose from, most with a beautiful view of the sea.

I don’t know what happened to this poor bird. I know you’re not supposed to feed wild birds but I took pity on this one and gave him some of my sandwich. It can’t be easy trying to catch fish when you only have one leg to balance on!

After leaving Swansea we passed these picturesque riverside houses.

Animal Islands Around The World

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Tara

This time there are more mammals than bird but still some great ideas for eco-travel all over the world! See all 10 on CN Traveler’s website.

I have to admit I am shocked that Rottnest Island wasn’t included!

Photographer Of The Week – Bill Majoros

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Tara

This is an older feature I am resurrecting. Each week, I will highlight a gallery of superb bird photography by a professional photographer. I am hoping to provide inspiration both for eco-travel and for us to improve our photography skills.

This week, I am showcasing the gallery and blog of Bill Majoros. He hails from North Carolina and his website has a really cool name – Third Bird from the Sun. Since his work is copyrighted, please enjoy his superb photography on his website. He also has a free instructional manual to download, not that I could hope to be as good as he is!

Tamron 150-600 f/5-f/6.3 Compared To Other Zoom Lenses For Birds

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Tara

I came across this video on Youtube with a very interesting comparison between the Tamron 150-600 f/5-f/6.3 with other lenses such as Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L & 400mm f/5.6 prime. I have both the Canon lenses but I find myself using the zoom lens a lot more since I need to go wide to locate the bird in the sky or a tree, then zoom in on him. The prime lens doesn’t allow for that. I really have to admire the physical strength of the photographer in this video, that Tamron weighs 1951 g (4.30 lb)! By comparison, the Canon 100-400 zoom weighs 1380 g (3.04 lb) and it’s already hard enough for me to hold more than a few seconds! More specs on this lens can be found in DPreview.

Lodge Review: BIG4 Iluka Freycinet Holiday Park

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Tara

BIG4 Iluka on Freycinet sits opposite Muirs Beach at Coles Bay on the beautiful East Coast of Tasmania. It’s an ideal location from which to explore world renowned Freycinet National Park and Wineglass Bay. The area is rich in stunning natural beauty, great walks and history. Birds are all over the area but by the time we got there we only got a few fly-bys as they headed back to their roosting grounds.

I thought the cabin was great, just a short walk from a small hill where I could see various birds flying past but too far away to identify. Blowing up the photos, I couldn’t see any colour. The cabin can hold up to 4 people in the usual double room and bunk bedded room. You can either cook in the well-equipped kitchen or walk to a cafe nearby.

Freycinet National Park

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Tara

Sticking out into the sea on Tasmania’s mild east coast is the rugged and beautiful Freycinet Peninsula. Freycinet National Park consists of knuckles of granite mountains all but surrounded by azure bays and white sand beaches. The dramatic peaks of the Hazards welcome you as you enter the park. The main town in Freycinet, Coles Bay is easily reached from Hobart or Cradle Mountain. If you are coming from Cradle Mountain, be careful as some of the roads can be dodgy.

Only a small part of Freycinet is accessible by car. This is a walker’s paradise and you will get the most out of a visit by spending several days here and doing some of the walks. Even if you only have one day (as we did), there are still a lot of birds to see in the driveable part of the park and in the Coles Bay area. Details of walks, fees and facilities are on their website.

ACCOMMODATION

Pitch a tent or stay in one of Australia’s greatest luxury resorts – the Saffire, it’s all here in Freycinet! Coles Bay is the closest town to the park entrance. Although Swansea looks close, since there is a strip of water leading into a lagoon Bicheno is actually closer if you can’t get Coles Bay. We stayed at Iluka Holiday Park, review is here. It’s easy to comapre your options on Wotif.

I’ll cover birding highlights on the next post.

Top 10 Cheapest Countries For Birding

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Tara

I used the recent Price of Travel list “124 World cities ranked from cheapest to most expensive: Backpacker Index for 2014” to figure out which countries are the cheapest overall to go birding in. The lower cost of living translates into cheaper public transport, accommodation, food and guide fees. Of course that doesn’t mean there aren’t more luxurious and expensive options in these countries as well, but it’s nice to know you can go birding with a backpacker budget!

1. Nepal
2. Vietnam
3. Thailand
4. India
5. Laos
6. Bolivia
7. Ecuador
8. Sri Lanka
9. Indonesia
10. Peru

The good news is that you can use miles to get to all these countries. See my guides on South-east Asia, Central Asia & Peru for rough ideas.

Green Rosella (Platycercus caledonicus)

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Tara

The Green Rosella or Tasmanian Rosella (Platycercus caledonicus) is endemic to Tasmania and Bass Strait islands. At 37 cm (14.5 in) long it is the largest species of the rosella genus, Platycercus. Its diet is composed of seeds, fruit, berries and flowers, as well as insects and insect larvae.

Green Rosellas are endemic to Tasmania and are commonly seen throught the island. I saw them best on Bruny Island and Freycinet National Park.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GREEN ROSELLAS

Tasmania Parks & Wildlife

VIDEO

Mike Grant has some nice close up footage on YouTube.

Birding Freycinet National Park

Posted on November 3, 2014 by Tara

Freycinet has a pretty decent bird list which includes Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Green Rosellas and Yellow Wattlebirds. Unfortunately most of my photos were out of focus. I got decent shots of the Yellow Wattlebird, some female Superb Fairy-wrens, Green Rosellas in flight.

Kaufman Field Guide To Advanced Birding (Kaufman Field Guides)

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Tara

Kaufman Field Guide to Advanced Birding (Kaufman Field Guides) is one I am saving for next year as my travel schedule will be greatly reduced. I want to spend more time improving my birding skills on local species!

This is my affiliate link, if you use it to purchase this book or any other on Amazon I will get a small commission at no added cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Miles To The Wild

Create unforgettable eco-tourism and birding adventures using miles & points!