Tassie VI - a walk around Franklin

Didn't take long but you never know what you might see & there are plenty of attractions to stretch the time out when you want! But my focus here is on the birds ...

First up this day, before the clouds came in and the wind came up, those common starlings were hard at work keeping food up to the very hungry chicks. A constant relay between parents from dawn to dusk was observable. The first two photos below show two alternate perches often used prior to ducking into the respective nests. Both show clearly what is in store for those lucky chicks!

Next, as the morning cloud began to move over, another common sight for this trip has been the common blackbird. I have commented previously on the more orange tinge to the beak and eyes than those I have photgraphed on the mainland. Clearly evident again here. While both these first two birds are a pest, they still offer quite the sight and even mores so when the setting complements.

What's a walk around where there are noisy plovers when you are unlucky not to see a nest or a young one. Here it was a very young one on those awkward over-sized legs suporting the fur-ball body ... but they learn quickly (and grow quickly).

Ah, at last. The European goldfinch. They had teased me in earlier parts of our trip but had not been co-operative enough to allow me decent shots. I was rewarded here, on this windy and cloudy morning. First of this set of three was on a grass verge on the oposite of the main road. Looks good with the grass and small flowers it was grazing on. A little further on and around a corner the second and third photos of the set were possible because it was on the same side of the road and so just that bit closer. Love the range of colours and those flowers look that much better in the background with the nearer poses. Left me with a BIG smile for a while 😁.

Back along the river bank and a smaller family of wood ducks was spotted. Mum was herding the ducklings on, dad standing there puffing his chest out with ruffled feathers just in case anyone dared come too close 😊.

Australian wood ducks galore on a big old log wiht one at the end just making herself heard! Sharing with a pair of chestnut teals, which feature in the second close up - perhaps the female chestnut teal is giving her own back to the wood duck?

A little pied cormorant on a favoured log judging by the colour of its perch!

Just as we arrived back I was quick enough (despite the unfavourable light) to get this small flock of yellow-tailed black cockatoos as they careened overhead. If their squawk iis not distinctive enough their long slow wing beat certainly betrays them.