GRAND AUSTRALIA: TASMANIA EXTENSION

OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 5, 2019

Yellow Wattlebird (photo © Terry Cloudman)

LEADER: DAVID JAMES

LIST COMPILED BY: DAVID JAMES

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM Our 2019 Tasmania Extension was a comfortable and cool finish to this year’s Grand Australia Tour. While the pace was relaxed and easy, we still experienced some of Tasmania’s finest wildlife and scenic locations, while taking in the famous landmarks. As usual, we saw all of Tasmania’s endemic birds as well as an elite selection of southern Australian specialties. We also enjoyed close encounters with some iconic Australian mammals, including Short-beaked Echidnas, ‘duck-billed’ Platypi, and the ‘Tassie’ Devil. The relaxed and leisurely itinerary allowed us ample time to enjoy spectacular scenery and sample Tasmania’s famous modern cuisine, showcasing seafood fresh for the Great Southern Ocean.

This year we started in Launceston and finished in Hobart, once again. After the short flight from Melbourne we headed straight to the Tamar Wetlands. By midmorning we were walking through the grassy wetlands in the middle of the braided river, admiring the scenery and soaking up the serenity. Thousands of Chestnut Teal and Gray Teal lined the channels. Five Royal Spoonbills sporting full breeding plumage were an exceptional find. We located some Australian Shelducks among the hundreds of Black Swans in the grass. A couple of Pacific Gulls were loafing on the flats amidst scores of Masked Lapwings (scrambled eggs on legs), while a pair of Pied Oystercatchers were busily exploring the mud. Several Swamp Harriers sought to disturb the peace, quartering the marshes. In the lagoons we found Little Grassbirds sneaking around the reeds as if they were hiding something. After lunch we located a gaggle of Cape Barren Geese in the rural setting of Hadspen. Tasmanian Native Hens were also plentiful here. We then headed to the remote Mountain Valley Wilderness Lodge for the night. Black Currawongs heralded our arrival by calling “good-day-mate” in their thick Aussie accents.

Tasmanian Devil enjoying a snack (photo © David James)

After settling in, we enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal topped-off with a generous serve of the classic Australian dessert, pavlova. Tasmanian Pademelons bounced around the grounds as we left the dining area. Our host, Len, escorted us down to the river at twilight, where we glimpsed a swimming Platypus in the fading light. We then retired to our rustic cabins as night fell, to await the appearance of Tasmanian Devils coming to feed. Unfortunately, it was a mixed performance by the Devils this year. For some of us they came right to our porches as we sat comfortably inside, but for others they did not show a peep. and Scrubtit. We also got our first good looks at Green Rosella.

A sunny spring day at the Tasmanian Arboretum proved the perfect setting for a picnic, while Native Hens scuffled all around us and a Wedge-tailed Eagle soared overhead. Following lunch we watched a Platypus foraging in the lake in broad daylight for several minutes. Dusky Robins and Yellow-throated Honeyeaters were confiding. Our extended views of Beautiful Firetail were repeatedly interrupted by a Short-beaked Echidna that was waddling about, disappearing under bushes, and literally leading us around the garden. Eventually it scuttled into a little pond where it stopped for a long, refreshing drink, suddenly oblivious to our presence. After well-earned ice creams, we took the scenic drive up to Cradle Mountain, Flame Robin stopping along the way to look at a couple (photo © Terry Cloudman) of Common Wombats grazing on Button Grass. Around the lodge we On day 2, after a short sleep-in and enjoyed great views of Yellow breakfast in the cabins, we found some Wattlebirds sporting preposterous great birds around Mountain Valley, yellow earrings, and Black Currawongs including a trifecta of colorful male attended our verandas seeking our charity. Petroica robins. First, a Scarlet Robin was collecting insects in the trees around the cabins, presumably taking them to a nearby nest. We located a singing Flame Robin, initially high in the trees, but soon coming to the ground and parading in the morning sunlight. Not to be outdone, a Pink Robin displayed his flamboyant colors at very close quarters. But by all accounts, none of Australia’s finest robins could out-do our own VENT participant, Robin! Moving on, at Levan Canyon we found a bevy of Tasmania’s endemic brown skulkers: Tasmanian Scrubwen, Tasmanian Thornbill Short-beaked Echidna drinking (photo © David James) At Cradle Mountain we awoke to a fine morning that simply had to be answered with a hearty breakfast. We then strolled along the Enchanted Trail through ancient Gondwanan rainforest adorned with a myriad of lichens and mosses. Scrubtits and Tasmanian Scrubwrens had excellent views of us, while Yellow-throated Honeyeaters were too busy chasing one another to even notice us. Yellow Wattlebirds, Crescent Honeyeaters, Green Rosellas, and Black Currawongs were all in attendance too. We headed up to Dove Lake and Waldheim Cottage to steep in the majestic scenery and curious history of Cradle Mountain National Park (not to be confused with Cradle Snatcher National Park). After lunch at the Lodge we visited Devils Cradle, a wildlife zoo involved in the captive breeding program for Tasmanian Devils, to see Devils and Quolls a little closer and learn a little something about their conservation plight. During the late afternoon we strolled along the Emu River at Fern Glade Park. Brown and Tasmanian thornbills showed in close succession, and a confiding Fan-tailed Cuckoo serenaded us mournfully. We dined at Bayviews Restaurant on the beach at Burnie as the light was fading. After dark we joined the Little Penguins returning from their day at sea to their burrows on the shore, and braying (with surprise?) in the almost balmy conditions.

VENT participants photograph a nonchalant Common Wombat at Cradle Mountain (photo © David James)

On Day 4 it was another beautiful morning at Cradle Mountain and, after yet another hearty breakfast, we took a short stroll around the cabins for one last look at the montane birds. Then we headed off towards Hobart. Near Moina we made a quick stop for Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos. We luncheoned at Lake Dulverton, by the historic sandstone town of Oatlands. Unfortunately, the lake was choked with weeds, and waterbird diversity was low, so we did not linger. On the outskirts of Hobart, Gould’s Lagoon was livelier. There were at least a dozen Freckled Ducks and almost as many Australasian Shovelers. Black Swans, Pacific Black Ducks, Hardheads, Gray and Chestnut teals, Maned Ducks, and a motley squadron of Mallard hybrids rounded out a pond load of ducks. Meanwhile, Tasmanian Native Hens, Eurasian Coots, and Australasian Swamphens loitered around the fringes. A single Latham’s Snipe stood cryptically at the edge of the reeds, as if awaiting further instructions. On day 5 we traveled to the unspoilt Bruny Island for some amazing wildlife encounters. As we crossed the D’entrecasteaux Chanel (apparently not pronounced “Dion Castro," according to our French scholar) there were Black-faced Cormorants, Kelp Gulls, and Great Crested Terns. At our first stop on Bruny, Swift Parrots were nesting, and we could hear them calling and see them flying around, but it took a little patience to get good views. All the while, we continued finding other endemics including the ultra rare and tiny Forty-spotted Pardalote. The endemic honeyeaters were on show: Yellow Wattlebirds, Yellow-throated Honeyeaters, and Black- headed Honeyeaters. We debunked for much better views of Forty-spotted Pardalote on Missionary Road. Shining-Bronze and Fan-tailed cuckoos showed well. Not far away we found a dozen Blue-winged Parrots and some White-fronted Chats feeding in a field. Pied and Sooty oystercatchers were along the shore at The Neck. Near Adventure Bay we located some Hooded Plovers. It was local cheese and bread for lunch. Superb! But quite a lot. After lunch we headed up and over Mount Mangana, finally tracking down our last endemic bird, the Strong- billed Honeyeater. Crescent Honeyeaters were feasting on Waratahs. An Olive Whistler called to us, but it would not play the game. We returned on the ferry and went directly to a pre- arranged and sumptuous Turkish banquet before the brief drive back to Hobart.

Hooded Plover (photo © David James)

On the penultimate day we ventured up to Mount Wellington for the sweeping views of South East Tasmania. Despite the clear and calm weather, the winds atop were brisk and biting, but the scenery made it all worthwhile. Along a fire trail we found a pair of Pink Robins and some Tasmanian Scrubwrens and Thornbills. At Waterworks Reserve, a vocal Pallid Cuckoo pestered us. Satin Flycatchers, Dusky Robins, Yellow-throated Honeyeaters, Black-headed Honeyeaters, and Gray (Clinking) Currawongs all appeared. Striated Pardalotes were nesting in a retaining wall. A Wedge-tailed Eagle soared over the reservoir, alarming the hundreds of loafing Kelp Gulls. After lunch on the Hobart waterfront, the afternoon was given to free time for exploring historic Hobart. On our final day we returned to Bruny Island with a different focus. We took a later ferry and then headed straight for the far south of the Island. Wind-swept Cape Bruny juts into the Southern Ocean amidst breathtaking coastal scenery. With the mild weather there were no seabirds in view, surprisingly. A male Flame Robin and a pair of white-fronted Chats vied for our attention as we headed to the lighthouse. A close Wedge-tailed Eagle glided along the cliff face below so we could look down on it for a change. Soon after, a young White- bellied Sea-Eagle pulled a similar stunt.

We scheduled a quick stop at Jetty Beach to try for Olive Whistler before an early return to the hotel. Well, sometimes plans do go Wedge-tailed Eagle awry. So the Olive Whistler called and (photo © Terry Cloudman) flirted and darted and skulked, but never showed. Meanwhile, Great Taylors Bay was glassy-smooth and glistening. “There’s a whale,” cried Cindy. What must have been a Pygmy Right Whale was circling in the shallows, sometimes no more than 100 yards off the beach. This is an incredible rarity, rarely seen anywhere in the world, the least known of all the baleen whales. In reality, it looked much like a wheel with a fin. Or more precisely, like a small Minke Whale but without a pointy snout and none of the pale markings. What a way to finish Tasmania 2019. Nice spotting Cindy!

Our final dinner was at the famously quirky seafood restaurant the Drunken Admiral in the old wharf district of Hobart.

Pink Robin (photo © Terry Cloudman) Gondwanan Temperate Rainforest at Cradle Mountain

ITINERARY

29 October: AM: Fly from Melbourne to Launceston. Tamar Island Wetlands. PM: Hadspen and Mountain Valley, Loongana 30 October: AM: Mountain Valley and Levan Gorge. PM: Tasmanian Arboretum and on to Cradle Mountain 31 October: AM: Cradle Mountain (Enchanted Walk, Dove Lake and Waldheim Cottage). PM: Devils’ Cradle, Fern Glade Burnie 1 November: Cradle Mountain to Hobart via Moina, Oatlands and Gould’s Lagoon 2 November: Bruny Island 3 November: AM: Mt Wellington and Waterworks Reserve. PM: free time in historic Hobart 4 November: PM: Bruny Island take 2 5 November: Fly from Hobart to Sydney or Melbourne with onward connecting flights VENT Participants on the Enchanted Trail BIRDS TE=endemic to Tasmania A = endemic to Australia * = Introduced to Tasmania

Cape Barren Goose Ceriposis novaehollandiae A Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevossa A Black Swan Cygnus atratus A Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides Maned Duck Chenonetta jubata A Australasian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos * Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa Crescent Honeyeater Australian (Australasian) Shoveler Anas rhynchotis (photo © David James) Chestnut Teal Anas castanea (Australian) Grey Teal Anas gibberifrons Hardhead Aythya australis Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus A Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites basalis Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites lucidus Pallid Cuckoo Cacomantis pallidus Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis Tasmanian Native-Hen Gallinula mortierii TE Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Australasian Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris A Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus A Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis A Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae Pacific Gull Larus pacificus A Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii Little Penguin Eudyptula minor Australasian Gannet Morus serrator Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris Black-faced Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscescensA Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (photo © Larry Wilson) Great Egret Ardea (Egretta) alba White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae (Eastern) Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (coromandus) Royal Spoonbill Spoon Platalea regia Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax Swamp Harrier Circus approximans White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae A* Brown Falcon Falco berigora Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus A Galah Eolophus roseicapilla A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor A Green Rosella Platycercus caledonicus TE Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus A Eastern Spinebill Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris A Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala A Little (Brush) Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera A Yellow Wattlebird Anthochaera paradoxa TE A White-fronted Chat Epthianura albifrons Albino Red-necked (Bennett’s) A Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera Wallaby (photo © Larry Wilson) New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae A Yellow-throated Honeyeater Nesoptilotis flavicollis TE Black-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus affinis TE Strong-billed Honeyeater Melithreptus validirostris TE Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus A Forty-spotted Pardalote Pardalotus quadragintus TE Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus A Tasmanian Scrubwren Sericornis humilis TE Scrubtit Acanthornis magnus TE Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla A Tasmanian Thornbill Acanthiza ewingii TE Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa A Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus A Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus A Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen Black Currawong Strepera fuliginosa TE Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor A Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae Common Wombat Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica (photo © David James) Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa Satin Flycatcher Myagra cyanoleuca Forest Raven Corvus tasmanicus A Scarlet Robin Petroica boodang A Flame Robin Petroica phoenicea A Pink Robin Petroica rodinogaster A Dusky Robin Melanodryas vittata TE Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis* Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena Tree Martin Hirundo nigricans Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus Silver-eye Zosterops lateralis Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula* European Starling Sturnus vulgaris* Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis* Little Penguin (photo © David James) House Sparrow Passer domesticus* Beautiful Firetail Stagonopleura bella A

MAMMALS

Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus A Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus A Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisi TE Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus A Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula A Tasmanian (Red-bellied) Pademelon Thylogale billiardierii TE Red-necked (Bennett’s) Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus A European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus * Feral Cat Felis catus * Pygmy Right Whale Carperea marginata

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

Tasmanian Tree Skink Carinascincus pretiosus TE Metalic Skink Carinascincus metalicus A Lowland Copperhead Austrelaps superbus A Brown Tree Frog Litoria ewingiA Smooth Froglet Geocrinia laevis A Common Froglet Crinia signifera A Eastern Banjo Frog Lymnodynastes dummereli A