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.

Tassie V - Franklin on the Huon

Unfortunately I have a bit of a blank spot between leaving the east coast and getting to Hobart - only a small one as most of the time was travel. There was a glitch with the SD card I had in teh camera and it just shut the camera down 😕. Main thing I know I missed was our time in the Hobart Botanic Gardens and quite a few young birds that were in the grounds. Thankfully, I finally figured out it was an error/fault with the card, so a new one reassured me the camersa was still working fine😓.

So, the day we arrived at our next B&B in Franklin was another picture perfect one. Even while getting settled the sparrows had attracted my attention.

The Huon was showing its best side this afternoon and so it was "necessary" to go for a walk along the banks to see what I could see! First up, to confirm the "pretty as a picture" bit ... looking south.

And just to confirm that, looking north from where I began my river bank meander, I spotted this crow perched on the remains of a big old log near the bank. Shows off the scene, along with the photo above, I was enjoying very nicely 😀.

I shall simply label each photo with the bird type & brief comment. Great setting, so really good to see such a variety of bird life making the most of this pristine environment.

Common starlings gathering food for their young.

Pacific black duck cruising.

Australian wood duck pair also cruising.

Little pied cormorant drying off.

Two eurasian coots keeping close check.

I break the pattern here to show this set of three capturing a silvereye as it moved among the foliage maintaining a good camoflage. Each photo captures just enough of a glimpse with the final one showing the acrobatic skills and the greatest exposure of its self in the set.

Chestnut teal cruising & showing off that iridesence.

Another one, just resting from paddling!

Australian wood duck - shiny green wing tip not often visible

A dandy mallard showing off his finery in the afternoon!

Three eurasian coots in formation.

Because they are so cute, and very young, a special set here for an expansive family of Australian wood ducks here. First with mum carefully overseeing their grazing; then a couple focusing on the ducklings keeping to their tight huddle; finally just reassuring you that mum was not far away at all!

Nearing the end of my return leg I spotted these masked lapwings - a plovers corner! Might have thoght these young ones were not needing such close parental guarding, but apparently not quite yet 😁 - at least they were quiet!

A quiet 3 months (Aug-Oct)

For a variety of reasons, mainly health related, this period was relatively quiet. Of course, preparations for our long-awaited driving trip to Tassie occupied much of our time too.

The selection below shows a variety of regular birds along several common areas we walk. "Regular" in terms of sightings they might be, but as usual, they also offer different appreciations of the capability and beauty of the birds.

First up I managed to frame this osprey alighting from the top of a riverside pine. More usually I photo these in static poses.

Next a youngish prancing plover (masked lapwing) just about to disappear into the shadow of a telegraph pole.

The next two photos show a rainbow lorikeet and a crested pigeon. The lorikeet is feasting on the nectar of the banksia flower while keeping a very keen eye on the photographer. The pigeon is in the same bush and roosting among the flowers to complement its wonderful plummage and also keeping an eye on the photographer.

Here is a pied cormorant basking on a boulder along the wall in the morning sun. The sheen on the wings and the black collar and head streak contrast strongly with the white neck and chest. The yellow beak is also a clear further contrast.

  

The same beauty of the soft pastel palette is perhaps even more apparent with this crested pigeon grazing on the grass among the clover, compared to the perch in the banksia shown above. Both have their own charm.

From pines, to banksia, to grass, to rocks, a plainer bare branch context against our wonderfully clear blue sky shows off the magnificent sounding (and looking) pied butcherbird. 

 

And a youngish magpie listening and feeling for any movement underground before it digs out the underground prey.

Showing off both the grass and rocky context is this white ibis preening its chest while balancing on a single leg ... such dexterity while ensuring they look their best 😁.

A pair of pacific black ducks by the edge of the lake enjoying some anonymity in the shadows.

The next two photos show a pair of welcome swallows enjoying the afternoon sun on their highwire perch. One caught at the beginning of a dive, and then in the second photo it has returned to the (deserved) admiration of its partner!

Another photo showing the acrobatic skills of the rainbow lorikeet.

Finally, just prior to our departure, a brush turkey decided he was going to build a nest in our front yard 😟. You can see in the first photo the spread of dirt behind the red flowers ... it had been moved there by the turkey from the nice clean path beside the birdbath. The next position was off to the left under a native magnolia tree ... the second photo shows to proud builder working the dirt & debris into position under the tree. On our return (mid-Nov) the nest is MUCH bigger and the yard much less tidy but boy, can these guys move a lot of material around in a short amount of time!

Random August sightings

Like much of this year, August was more about having my camera handy whenever we were out and about - no specific outings seeking birds. Still, ample good shots of some favourites in some familiar places.

In the scrub parkside at Bangalow while enjoying the company of our visiting family from the UK this grey fantail offered a curious peek as it alighted on a dead hanging vine frond. The white highlights on the head and tail are clear from this photo.

Also present were a pair of magpie larks enjoying a dip in the creek. The first two below are wading deeper for a wash; the second photo showing one of them enjoying that dip; the third photo the scrubbed up & sparkling clean pee-wee after the dip!

And the final photo from Bangalow was this pied currawong appearing to offer a "curtsy" in gratidue for being noticed balancing on the back of the park bench. The powerful beak and cautious yellow eyes a feature as always.

The remainder of this post are photos from around Shaws Bay and Shelly Beach foreshore.

First three are welcome further sightings of a couple of sacred kingfishers. The early afternoon sun provides very good views of the striking plumage. A common perch on rocks providing a view across the low-tide waters for any hint of movement to be swooped on.

The next several photos are individually labelled and were taken at various points along the wall.

Figbird among the dead branches

Young pied butcherbird about to devour a crab

Masked lapwing strutting along the beach

A darter drying out in the sun

Slightly different angle

 

Little pied cormorant dried out and ready to dive again

The next four photos are a selection of subperb fairy wrens enjoying the sun and offering some nice peeks, as they often do, to highlight their small stature ... "brown" they may be, but delicately beautiful and fragile for sure!

Next up is a pair of crows smooching in a pandanus palm. The second photo was one of them that loitered a little longer for a single portrait. The front on view of the beak from the underside is a little scary, especially with those white eyes having me in clear sight!

And finally a pale-yellow robin standing upright on a tree root showing off its prize black beetle from a successful hunt. Time watching well spent.