Sunshine Coast Birds

Birding and other wildlife experiences from the Sunshine Coast and elsewhere in Australia - and from overseas - with scribblings about travel, environmental issues, kayaking, hiking and camping.

Sunday 8 December 2019

South-East Australia Road Trip Spring 2019: Part 7, Hobart and North Tasmania

Tasmanian Masked Owl

After leaving Bruny Island we headed to Hobart for a few days of mostly relaxing, sight-seeing and catching up with friends, setting up the caravan in the city showground. The odd visit to local bushland reserves proved worthwhile with Grey (Clinking) Currawongs quite common.

Grey (Clinking) Currawong
I'd heard a few Satin Flycatchers earlier in the trip elsewhere in Tasmania and finally managed to see a male close-up in Hobart's Waterworks Reserve.

Satin Flycatcher

Satin Flycatcher

Satin Flycatcher
I checked out Goulds Lagoon and was surprised to see about a dozen Freckled Duck there.

Freckled Duck
From Hobart we headed north for a couple of days near Launceston, where we camped by the pleasant South Esk River.

South Esk River near Launceston
Then it was on to Latrobe, south of Devonport, for a three-day stay. The Warrawee Conservation Area and the Mersey River offered some of the finest forest scenery of the trip. 

Warrawee Forest Reserve near Devonport
It was here that one of the star birds was encountered – the Tasmanian race of the Masked Owl. 
I had noted a 2018 ebird record from the Warrawee forest and so it was there I headed. I found a large and vocal female Masked Owl about 500m from that site, or about 1.3km from the reserve's locked gate. It was interesting to note that the owl's “twittering” calls were given far more often and were a good deal louder than those given by mainland Masked Owls. The Warrawee bird was also a good deal darker and more reddish-brown than any birds I've seen on the mainland.

Tasmanian Masked Owl

Tasmanian Maksed Owl

Tasmanian Masked Owl
Olive Whistler was quite common at Warrawee. From Devonport we again boarded the Spirit of Tasmania ferry for a comfortable journey back to Port Melbourne.

Olive Whistler


No comments:

Post a Comment