A short leisure trip to Tasmania for wildlife watching, sight-seeing and scrumptious foods sampling. Saw 10 Tasmanian endemic birds out of 12. Mammal spotlighting is rewarding after dark in Bruny Island, Mt Field National Park and Cradle Mountain and is highly recommended for all animal-lovers.
Itinerary as follows: Hobart – Richmond – Bruny Island – Mt Field National Park – Cradle Mountains – Bicheno – Freycinet National Park
Reference books:
(1) Field guide to the birds of Australia by Simpson & Day
(2) Where to see wildlife in Tasmania by Dave Watts & Cathie Plowman
(3) The complete guide to finding the birds of Australia by Richard Thomas, Sarah Thomas, David Andrew & Alan McBride
Information about my accommodation in this trip can be found in my gallery:
www.pbase.com/elinglee/australia .
Special thanks to Davis Kwan for his generous help to provide lots of valuable information to me in the process of planning this trip.
The following are Tasmanian endemic birds:
Green Rosella @ Raspberry Farm in Elizabeth Town
Green Rosella is common in Tasmania and shouldn’t be missed.
Yellow Wattlebird @ Bicheno
We heard their calls everywhere in Bicheno. One was roosting just in front of our cottage and called vigorously in the morning.
Dusky Robin @ Bruny Island
Common in Inala and Berry Farm in Bruny Island.
Strong-billed Honeyeater @ Bruny Island
Many of them in Inala in Bruny Island
Black-headed Honeyeater @ Bruny Island
Many of them in Inala in Bruny Island but often high up in the tree
Tasmanian Thornbill @ Bruny Island
They are everywhere in Tasmania.
Black Currawaong @ Cradle Mountain
Many of them at the entrance of the camping site in Cradle Mountain. Shouldn’t be missed.
Tasmanian Native-hen @ Mt Field National Park
They are everywhere in Tasmania and shouldn’t be missed.
The following are Australian endemic birds:
Spotted Pardalote @ Peter Murrell Reserve, Hobart
Galah @ Richmond
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo @ Bruny Island
Musk Lorikeet @ Hobart Airport
Eastern Rosella @ Richmond
Flame Robin (M) @ Bruny Island
Dusky Woodswallow @ Bruny Island
Superb Fairy-wren (F) @ Bruny Island
Yellow-rump Thornbill @ Elizabeth Town
Little Wattlebird @ Bicheno
New Holland Honeyeater @ Bicheno
Common Bronzewing @Bicheno
Hoary-head Grebe & Australian Grebe @
Pacific Gull @ Freycinet National Park
Australian Wood Duck @ Bruny Island
Black-faced Cormorant @ Bruny Island
The following are not endemic birds:
Scarlet Robin @ Raspberry Farm at Elizabeth Town
Grey Fantail @ Bruny Island
Australian Pipit @ Cradle Mountain
Pied Oystercatcher @ Freycinet National Park
Brown Falcon @ Freycinet National Park
Silver Gull @ Richmond
Little Penguin @ Bicheno
A stroll in Royal Botanical Garden, Sydney found the following birds:
Laughing Kookaburra (Australian endemic)
Noisy Miner (Australian endemic)
Little Corella
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
The tree full of Little Corella and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Dusky Moorhen (Australian endemic)
Masked Lapwing
Here are some of the mammals we have seen in this trip:
Very lucky to see wild Platypus swimming in the lake in front of our cottage in the vicinity of Mt Field National Park or you can watch the Platypus in the river inside the Park.
Spotlighting in the camp site of Mt Field National Park found many Common Brushtail Possums. We also saw a Southern Boobook sitting on the ground but failed to take any picture and plenty of Tasmanian Pademelons.
Bennett’s Wallabies are all coming out at dusk in Inala in Bruny Island:
But have to watch out for animals while driving at night. Sadly we have seen so many road kill especially in Bruny Island.
Common Wombats and Bennett’s Wallabies were wandering around the Cradle Mountain Lodge at about 4pm. Common Brushtail Possums were also very active after dark. You don’t have to go far just walk around the car park of the Lodge you will see plenty of these nocturnal animals:
We are so fortunate to see three Eastern Quolls in Cradle Mountain
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Last edited by eling at 16/04/2012 22:55 ]
