Birding Lake Coolmunda Caravan Park & Surrounds

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Tara

The area between the Cunningham Highway to roughly the railway tracks has plenty of birdlife.

Once again, it was a great place to look fro parrots! Red-winged Parrots were hanging around just outside the caravan park while Scaly-breasted Lorikeets & Crested Pigeons were easily found inside the park.

The stretch of road just opposite this fancy house is good for Red-Rumped Parrots foraging in the grass.

The grassy area just outside the park was also good for fairywrens. I was a bit far from the bush they were hanging out in so had to zoom quite a bit. At first I was thinking they were all Superb Fairy-wrens.

Zooming in on this photo showed that I had also found a flock of White-winged Fairy-wrens!

Meanwhile a Laughing Kookaburra kept watch.

And a Black-shouldered Kite put on an amazing display of hunting. He hovered like a ……………………. well a kite!

Aha, spotted something!

The kite swooped quickly and withdrew to a pole holding a rat. I was so impressed I would have gladly offered him a job keeping my home free of rats if I could be sure that was all he would eat!

Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus)

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Tara

The Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus), also known as the superb blue-wren or colloquially as the blue wren, is a passerine bird of the family Maluridae, common and familiar across southeastern Australia. They were recently voted as Australia’s favourite bird. Two subspecies groups are recognized: the larger and darker Tasmanian form cyaneus and the smaller and paler mainland form cyanochlamys.

Superb Fairy-wrens have a large range in eastern Australia and Tasmania. I’ve personally seen them in the Captain Cook Caravan Park in Bruny Island, Strahan, around Hobart and near Girraween National Park in Queensland.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SUPERB FAIRY-WRENS

Tasmania Parks & Wildlife

VIDEO

Beautiful close up footage from Chris Rishworth on YouTube.

Birding In Strahan, Tasmania

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Tara

Strahan, Tasmania is going to be on most serious birder’s itineraries as it is one of the few places in Australia to see Eastern Ground Parrots reliably. It’s actually a cute seaside town with lots of local charm.

We did a car swap in Hobart after leaving Bruny Island since I got a better rate with Thrifty Car Hire via RACQ.

It’s a beautiful drive through the mountains from Hobart to Strahan.

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge which I reviewed here.

Traditional pub accomodation, also good meals can be found here.

Misty sunrise

Flushing a Ground Parrot

A short walk away from the Wilderness Lodge, we saw Emu-wrens and Superb Fairy-wrens.

Birding Bruny Island

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Tara

Bruny Island is on the bucket list of many birders for its rich and varied birdlife. Inala has a good list of birds and mammals found here. They can also provide accommodation and guided birding tours.

Being budget travelers, we birded independently as we drove south from the ferry dock. Here are some of the best birds we saw (that I got pics of).

We saw our first Tasmanian endemic bird – Green Rosellas a few km before the Cheese shop.

A small flock of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos were in the trees surrounding the Cheese Shop.

Assorted sparrows, LBJs and Fairy-wrens were at the Penguin Cafe hoping to snatch up leftover food.

The bright blue Superb Fairy-wrens are male, the brown ones are female.

We saw a Scarlet Robin in the Captain Cook Caravan Park grounds.

Moving down to the beach opposite Captain Cook’s we saw some black swans.

Tasmanian Native Hens were in the grounds at Captain Cook’s.

These Green Rosellas were foraging at the entrance to Captain Cook’s.

We had almost given up hope for the Swift Parrots when a lady said she saw some near her cabin which was one of the cabins nearest the beach. Sure enough, there was a Swift Parrot living up to his name by flying swiftly from one tree to another. I did my best to get a good shot but he wasn’t going to make it easy!