Tasmania Australia Trip Report 2024
After meeting in Hobart, we drove to Mt Nelson where Swift Parrots had been seen recently. Here there were several of the birds showing well in flowering eucalypts on a suburban street! Also present were the endemic Yellow Wattlebird and Yellow-throated Honeyeater. Then up kunanyi / Mt Wellington to see what conditions were like on top. The summit was in sunshine, but strong cold winds meant a quick look at the views then turnaround and descend to the Springs, where we had views of the endemic Tasmanian Thornbill and others such as Crescent Honeyeater and the ever present Superb Fairywrens.
Superb Fairywren © Sören Salvatore
Day 2 began with some good roadside birding on the way to Mt Field National Park. Black Swans were very common along the Derwent Estuary and Tasmanian Native Hens, some with chicks, were common in the wet fields and roadsides, with the parents of these chicks always keeping an eye out for hungry Swamp Harriers cruising along the marshes.
Tasmanian Nativehen chick © Sören Salvatore
At the National Park birding along the walks produced some spectacular views of Pink Robin, Scarlet Robin, Green Rosella, a Black Currawong building a nest, Tasmanian Scrubwren, Scrubtit and more Superb Fairywrens.
Pink Robin © Sören Salvatore
Tasmania Scrubwren © Sören Salvatore
Russell Falls © Sören Salvatore
Birding group at Russell Falls © Rob Elvish
After lunch we drove back through Hobart to catch the Bruny Island ferry. Birding on Bruny Island really began early the next morning around our wonderful accommodation, getting close up with Tasmanian Native Hen chicks, followed by a tour of Inala Nature Reserve. Here we had excellent views of the endangered endemic Forty-spotted Pardalote from Inala’s unique “Pardalote Platform” and watched a pair flying in and out of their new, smaller entrance nest box. It is hoped this will exclude the competing but slightly larger Striated Pardalotes.
Forty-spotted Pardalote © Sören Salvatore
Other great birds seen here included Green Rosella, Black-headed and Strong-billed Honeyeaters, Beautiful Firetail, Dusky Woodswallow and a range of Robins (Scarlet, Flame, Dusky).
Flame Robin © Sören Salvatore
Scarlet Robin © Sören Salvatore
The afternoon at Adventure Bay gave us extended views of Swift Parrots feeding in Eucalypt blossom and a couple of Hooded Plovers, one of the islands specialities. Bruny Island is a stronghold for this endangered plover which is threatened by disturbance and predation when nesting on the beach.
Swift Parrot © Sören Salvatore
Group watching Hooded Plover © Sören Salvatore
Hooded Plover © Sören Salvatore
In the afternoon we visited a tree fern walk in the forest where we found more of perhaps Tasmania’s most difficult endemic bird, the Scrubtit.
Group looking at Scrubtit in Mount Field National Park © Sören Salvatore
Today some of us also got views of one of Bruny Island’s famous white wallabies, an albino form of Bennett’s Wallaby. Other mammals we were lucky to see on the tour included Eastern Quolls spotted on a night tour, Tasmanian Pademelons, and Echidnas.
Echidna © Sören Salvatore
Tasmania Pademelon © Sören Salvatore
In the evening after an early dinner, we went to a penguin and shearwater breeding colony to watch for the birds to return after dusk. As the light decreased, we started to see the wheeling forms of Short-tailed Shearwaters flying over the nesting colony and coming into land and entering their burrows. This was followed by the sound of chicks begging and parents giving their eerie wailing calls. A little later the first Little Penguin of the evening emerged from the sea and made its way up into the nesting colony in the sand dunes.
Shearwaters flying over the colony © Sören Salvatore
The next morning some of us went to North Bruny for Blue-winged Parrots, which we successfully found perching in a tall eucalypt sheltering from the brief rain showers. A beautiful male Flame Robin also delighted us with frequent close flybys and perches on the fenceposts around us.
Blue-winged Parrot © Sören Salvatore
Then we returned to Adventure Bay for our Bruny Island cruise. The cruise features spectacular coastal scenery of cliffs, rock stacks and sea caves; Australian and New Zealand Fur Seals and on the journey, we had some close views of Australasian Gannets, Shy Albatross, Kelp and Pacific Gulls and Black-faced Cormorants.
Pacific Gull © Sören Salvatore
Bruny Island cruise, slot in sea cliffs © Rob Elvish
Shy Albatross © Sören Salvatore
We departed Bruny Island early the next day on the way back to Hobart and tours end. But first we made a stop at an estuary site to look for Lewin’s Rail. We did not find the Rail but ended the tour with a close perched, White-bellied Sea-Eagle!
White-bellied Sea Eagle © Sören Salvatore
