Weekends That Were - August 2015

28-30.8.15


Tasmania

We (Stu & I) landed in Hobart airport, after a boring Jetstar flight, at 17.00, touched base with Andrew Sutherland and Rod Gardner in the arrivals area then headed out into the howling wind and driving rain to meet Edwin Vella and Dave Mitford who had arrived earlier and hired a car. Somehow we missed them inside the airport complex and ended up on the outside of the car park barriers. This would have been OK, except they had driven in without a ticket and were now blocking the middle lane at the barrier trying to get out……..after a lot of toing and froing we finally managed to convince someone to raise the barrier and let us out and were on our way.

Stopped at Seeford and dined at Mackers – then on to Coles and a quick shop for boat trip supplies before finally heading for the Lufra at Eaglehawk Neck. We checked in and unloaded our stuff in our 4 bed room which was still in 1948 splendour and looked it. However it was somewhere to put our bags and our heads and that’s all we needed – and at $100 per night all up, was a financial bonus!

Up at 6.00 - well before the Tasmanian dawn. Thermals top and bottom, wind proof shirt (thanks SW), heavy shirt, hoodie, jacket, snow-boarding gloves, muff, beanie, wellingtons, waterproof trousers……the wind was howling and the temperature was below zero. Down to the quay in the watery light of dawn and the captain telling us he’d ‘give it a go but it was pretty wild’.

Out through the heads in the faithful Pauletta and into the maelstrom of the southern ocean. The swell was between 4 and 5 meters, a long rolling wave form all the way from Antarctica, between spray and rain it was hard to know what was what. The wind was gusting to 40 knots and increasing as we headed south towards the Hippolytes, the boat churning along slowly as it rose up and slid down the waves. At times the skipper had to cut the engine and the boat banged down into the back of the wave. There wasn’t much talking going on as everyone held onto something and focused on just staying relatively upright. The odd Shy Albatross and occasional Common Diving Petrel showed through the weather, but there was no opportunity to really look for anything else.

An hour out and the Hippolytes were still a distant prospect when the captain called Stu into the cabin and advised we would have to turn back. We had just cleared another headland and the wind and swell was increasing – even if we had reached the shelf it is unlikely we would have been able to look at anything as we would all have been just trying to survive.

We arrived back in harbour an hour or so later and trailed sadly back to the hotel.

After a toastie and tea for breakfast we felt a little better and decided to make the day worthwhile. We drove down the Tasman Peninsula past Port Arthur, stopping for anything interesting and ended up at Coal Mines. This historic site celebrating the memory of the Irish and English convicts who, under forced labour, dug out a coal seam was then explored by Irish and English birders looking for endemics…… We found Scarlet and Dusky Robins, Yellow-throated, Black-headed and Crescent Honeyeaters, a Bassian Thrush in the carpark, Green Rosellas overhead, Superb Fairy-wrens and Golden Whistler. The weather remained cold, wet and windy but we found the birds fairly active in sheltered hollows.

Black-headed Honeyeater

Crescent Honeyeater

Dusky Robin

Flame Robin

Green Rosella

Pacific Gull

Pink Robin

Scarlet Robin - male

Scarlet Robin - female

On the way back to the Lufra we called into Torana State Forest and found Pink Robin, Tasmanian Thornbill and, eventually, Olive Whistler, before calling it a day.

We all met for the usual Saturday night dinner in the dining room and discussion, of course, centred round the potential birds we would see IF we got out to the shelf the next day. We were all asleep by about 10pm, until, that is, quarter past midnight when some drunken/drugged maniac in the unit next door decided it would be a good idea to listen to rap music at peak volume. We were just about vibrated out of our beds until Dave, in his underpants and t-shirt, banged on the guy’s door and told him to ‘TURN IT DOWN’. He did – which was just as well as the four of us were ready to do reluctant battle if he didn’t………well, that’s what we said we would do……

Sunday 30.8.15 Up again at 6.00, dressed again in multiple layers – it was bloody cold – and down to the harbour by 7 munching on museli bars for breakfast. Out again onto the heaving seas which had diminished slightly to 3 meter swells and the wind had dropped to about 20 knots. This time, however, we did make it to the shelf and bracing ourselves started burleying, oiling the water with tuna oil and watching the arriving birds – and arrive they did.

 Almost immediately, apart from the ubiquitous, Shy Albatrosses, a large dark albatross appeared and hopes were high for a Sooty – it turned out to be a Light-mantled Sooty – almost as good, but not quite what we’d hoped for. It didn’t hang around –just one pass, but we had several other viewings of it, or other individuals, through the day and even one on the way back.

White-headed Petrels were a feature of the drift, Great-winged and, later, a pair of Cape Petrels, two Blue Petrels shot past without really stopping, but several Grey Petrels, or the same bird, put on spectacular views, landing and feeding close to the boat – a lifer for me. Grey-backed Storm Petrels were in small number and, thankfully, so were a number of Prions. It was a real plus that they were in small numbers because it meant we could examine the same bird individually, easily, and determine the salient identification points. There were definite Slender-billed, probably about 4 or 5, and Antarctic/ Salvin’s – the latter believed to be Antarctic at the time, but discussion continues. All or both would be new birds for me and I will be happy to ‘tick’ them off my list, given that the views and individual identification that ensued. I have never been happy with birds identified after the fact from photos – despite the almost need for that to happen with Prions, given that they are so hard in the field, but on this occasion…..I’m happy!

Grey Petrel x Stu Pickering

Grey-backed Storm Petrel x Dave Mitford

Slender-billed Prion x Dave Mitford

Slender-billed Prion x Dave Mitford

Southern Royal Albatross x Stu Pickering

Along with these species we also had numerous Buller’s Albatross, a single (I think) Campbell Island, several Southern Royal and a few Wandering, a couple of Black-browed and, later on the way in, an Indian Yellow-nosed briefly. Northern Giant Petrels, a single Brown Skua, Gannets and for me, possibly THE bird of the trip again on the way back in – a white morph/phase Southern Giant Petrel – a bird I have long wanted to see!

White morph Southern Giant Petrel x Stu Pickering

(Thanks for the use of your photos Guys!)

It was, ultimately, one of the best pelagics anyone had been on and everyone was very excited and pleased with the final outcome for a tough weekend.

We arrived back in port at 3pm, basically packed up and left the Lufra at 4, got to Hobart by 5 and Stu and I flew out at 6.30pm arriving in Brisbane just after 9pm.

22 – 23.8.15

No birding this weekend. Had some work done on my eye and decided to give it a rest for a couple of days.

16.8.15

Sandy Camp & Lindum

Headed out alone and arrived on site at 7.00. Bumped into another birder, Hilary, from SA and we wandered around the area together. A good number, 25, Wandering Whistle Ducks, plenty of overwintering Reed Warblers and the usual water and bush birds for the site, including the usual Scarlet Honeyeaters.

Scarlet Honeyeater - male

The main excitement was a brief view of the Black Bittern we flushed unexpectedly from the side of the track in the Black Bittern pond (!) that flew high and appeared to land in the trees opposite – we were, however, unable to re-locate it.

We parted company and I went on to check Fowler – 4 Glossy Ibis were present among the usual stuff. On to Lindum and, again, the usual birds in the muddy shallow water although no Dotterels or Sandpipers. Down Burnby Rd and added Mistletoebird to my site list.

Other than that it was a quiet morning with little else of note, so I retired to Mackers for breakfast, while waiting for the Rivers store to open so I could get new shoes for work - exciting times!

15.8.15

Minnippi - again

We agreed on an easy bird this morning so off to Minnippi (again).

Typical winter’s morning – chilly and bright, by 7am the birds had woken up and we had the usual Grey Fantails and Scarlet Honeyeaters around the M1 track. Two Little Lorikeets screamed overhead somewhere while a large female Collared Sparrowhawk hunted through the low shrubs, silently stalking something. A Forest Kingfisher perched up was a surprise at this time of year and we found the Rose Robin again just inside the track entrance.

The rest of the walk was a bit same, same – the same 5 Wandering Whistling Ducks were in the same spot as Wednesday, the same Coots and Hardheads and Black Ducks etc.

On the Airfield track however, two Varied Trillers put in an appearance together and responded well to playback – but not well enough for photos. We stopped at Stu’s Raptor Lookout for long enough to smoke a cigarette then wandered back down the bike track flushing a Pheasant Coucal and a Pale-headed Rosella before returning to the car and going to Belesis’s for breakfast.

12.8.15

Minnippi

Arrived on site alone at 7.00 and, after checking out the lake, headed in to the M1 track. It seemed very quiet at first but as the sun warmed the treetops Scarlet Honeyeaters and Grey Fantails started to appear. A Varied Triller was an unexpected visitor on the track but it only got better as I came back out. A pair of finches flew up and were quickly identified as Red-browed Finches – only the second time I have seen them here. While trying to re-find them (I didn’t) a movement in the low trees along the periphery of the forest attracted my attention and turned out to be, finally, a Rose Robin. Stu and I have long expected this species here and I quickly rang him to bring him up to date. It took a little while, but he arrived and we managed to re-find the bird again, thank goodness!

Rose Robin

We watched it for a while then headed up the M1 track again and found a Rufous Fantail and a Fan-tailed Cuckoo to add to the day list.

Up to the lake and then over the hill to the Airfield track – nothing overly exciting, apart from 5 Wandering Whistle Ducks on the lake. The Airfield Track was quiet and it was only when we stopped at Stu’s Raptor Lookout on the way back that we had the next minor excitement – a Nankeen Kestrel hammered past, chased by a couple of Crows.  My second record for Minnippi and Stu’s first – bringing his total raptor count for the site to 17.

Heading home later I stopped off at Stu’s place to book our flights for the trip to Tasmania in two weeks time before heading home again.

8.8.15

North Stradbroke Island

What a waste of time! Got the usual water taxi at the usual time, the usual bus with the usual driver, reached the point at the usual time…..the sea was flat, the wind weak. I set up on the grass despite the southerly wind. Two shearwaters I decided were Hutton’s headed past in the first ten minutes, but other than a regular passage of groups of Gannets there was nothing else.

I sat it out till 9.30 and then headed home.

1.8.15

Anstead & Moggil Swamp

We were on site at 6.45 with Mr D regretting his choice of shorts – the temperature had dropped from about 12 to 5 degrees in the drive out. The cooler morning did not, however, seem to affect the birds and there was quite a bit of movement in the flowering gums as we started up the track. Scaly-breasted Lorikeets in particular were feeding nosily while the honking calls of Noisy Friarbirds echoed through the woods. Two White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes glided in – always a reliable site for them – and we spent a few minutes checking a flock of Double-barred Finches and trying to get a clearer view of a Shining Bronze Cuckoo before continuing up the track. Lots of Rufous and Golden Whistlers were to be a feature of the morning along with a couple of Rose Robins, one partially coloured up, and a total of 3 Fan-tailed Cuckoos.

When we had completed the circuit we headed for Moggill Pocket Swamp. Still a bit of water there despite the lack of recent rain. Grey Teal, Black Duck, 3 Black-fronted Dotterel and half a dozen White-headed Stilts on the ‘far’ side of the road and White-faced Heron, Eurasian Coots and the usual Swamphens on the ‘near’ side. Further up, on the lake set back from the road, a Chestnut Teal was a new addition to the site list for me and a Whistling Kite seen briefly was the only raptor of the day.

We tried a new café in Kenmore on the way back - the food was quite adequate, the coffee was good and the price was right – so, nice to know we have a new breakfast choice in this direction – dependent on how long it manages to last…..