GRAND AUSTRALIA: TASMANIA EXTENSION

NOVEMBER 1–8, 2018

Black Swans (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 Following our improved itinerary, in 2018 we again experienced some of Tasmania’s finest wildlife and scenic locations. We saw all of Tasmania’s endemic birds and a fine selection of southern Australian specialties that are highly sought-after. The mammals also gave us a great show, featuring amazing views of the bizarre “duck-billed” Platypus, an intimate encounter with the infamous Tasmanian Devil, and daytime sightings of Short-beaked Echidna and Common Wombat. We also sampled Tasmania’s famous modern cuisine that showcases the island’s fresh produce and seafood from the Great Southern Ocean.

This year we started in Launceston and finished in Hobart. After the short flight from Melbourne, we headed straight to the Tamar Wetlands around midmorning. While exiting the bus we found our first Tasmanian endemic, the Tasmanian Native Hen, a large flightless rail. The numerous Black Swans showed a spread in their annual cycle with some tending cygnets, some building nests, others not breeding at all. Amongst hundreds of Chestnut Teal we located a few Australian Shelduck as well as Gray Teal and Pacific Black Duck. Along the boardwalk Little Grassbirds were being typically shy and elusive, but we managed brief views with persistence. Forest Ravens perched on the wires, while Gray Fantails hawked among the flowering paperbark trees. The boardwalk winds through the multiple channels of the Tamar River, and the outer channels were teeming with teal and Masked Lapwings, while we picked out a few Pacific Gulls of various ages. Swamp Harriers patrolled the marshes, flushing the waterbirds several times.

After lunch on the Launceston waterfront, we located several flocks of Cape Barren Geese in the rural setting of Hadspen. Black-fronted Dotterels, adults and juveniles, were scurrying around the farm dams. A pair of Australian Shelducks had a large group of ducklings that were swimming with a handful of Hoary-headed Grebes. Eurasian Skylarks displayed overhead.

Cape Barren Geese (Photo © Terry Cloudman)

As we headed farther west, the weather was turning on us, and by the time we got to Mountain Valley Wilderness Lodge it was starting to rain and the light was dim. Both Gray (Clinking) and Black currawongs were vocal and active in the grounds of the lodge. Welcome Swallows were

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Tasmania Extension, 2018 nesting under the eaves of the cabins, while Tree Martins were patrolling overhead and Tasmanian Native Hens were stalking around the lawns. After settling into our cabins we enjoyed a delicious home-cooked Tasmanian meal. As we retired to our cabins, Tasmanian Pademelons scuttled from the path. Thunderstorms were brewing as night fell, creating an ominous setting for the anticipated appearance of the Tasmanian Devils. And the Devils did not disappoint, coming right to our porches as we sat comfortably warm and dry inside. More Tasmanian Pademelons and Brush-tailed Possums also put in appearances.

Tasmanian Devil (Photo © Larry Wilson)

Day 2 dawned a little damp and gloomy. After a short sleep-in and breakfast in the cabins, we found some good birds around Mountain Valley. Tasmanian Native Hens seemed undaunted by the weather. Shining Bronze-Cuckoos were on the prowl for brood-hosts. A sprightly male Scarlet Robin was foraging around the cabins, coming and going elusively. We tracked down some singing Flame Robins, but they were all somber females. Dusky Robins showed well around the cabins. Before lunch we called into Leven Canyon. Although the birds were quiet, the lookout was spectacular with patches of cloud riding the gusty breeze, folding over the ridges, and sliding through the canyons. Tasmanian Thornbill and Tasmanian Scrubwren added to our growing list of endemic birds. An Olive Whistler appeared for some, but most of us made do with a bright and singing male Golden Whistler. Driving on, we saw Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Green Rosellas, Swamp Harriers, and Masked Lapwings alongside the rural lanes of northern Tasmania.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Tasmania Extension, 2018 Our drive up to Cradle Mountain was characteristically stunning. Storm clouds were brooding over the alpine meadows, but Cradle Mountain was intermittently visible towering above all. Several Common Wombats were grazing on the Button Grass fields amidst the misting rain as we approached Cradle Mountain Lodge. Tasmanian Pademelons and Bennett’s Wallabies were in abundance. Black Currawongs were tame and friendly, calling “ good-day-mate ” in their thick Aussie accents. Unfortunately the weather closed in on us early in the evening, and the comfort of the Lodge and hearty food of the Highland Restaurant beckoned.

The following morning we woke to snow and sleet around the cabins. A Platypus or two joined us for breakfast, working the pond outside the Highland Restaurant, oblivious of the weather, as we watched through the windows. After breakfast we retreated down to the valleys and coast to escape the wind and rain. At Moina we searched for Pink and Flame robins but came up empty, although a flock of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos helped to console our disappointment. At the Tasmanian Arboretum we encountered a small flock of Beautiful Firetails displaying, copulating, and building nests. Several Yellow-throated Honeyeaters were chasing each other madly, barely stopping long enough for us to view them. Dusky Woodswallows were hawking around the giant blue gum trees. Several European Greenfinches were found consorting among the more common European Goldfinches. On our initial scan of the ponds we found no Platypi, but when we looped back again David found one that was foraging in a channel only 20 feet from the bank, giving us great views and photo opportunities for 15 minutes.

Along the Bass Strait coast we found Pacific Gulls, Pied Oystercatchers, Bar-tailed Godwits, and Black-faced Cormorants on the beach at Ulverston. Susie found a pair of Red-capped Plovers shepherding two freshly-hatched downy chicks amongst the driftwood piles. Close to shore we spotted both Shy and Black- browed albatrosses and several Australasian Gannets. At Fern Glade Reserve we found nesting Dusky Robins in the parking lot and nesting Tasmanian Thornbills along the Emu River. A lone female Satin Flycatcher scolded us from the tree tops, but we could not find her mate. A White-bellied Sea-Eagle glided majestically through the gorge. Lastly we saw one more Platypus swimming up the river.

Pied Oystercatcher (Photo © Terry Cloudman)

At the fabulous Bayviews Restaurant we dined on fine local seafood and produce as the sun went down. After dusk we joined the ‘Friends of Burnie Penguins’ for an intimate opportunity

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Tasmania Extension, 2018 to watch at least 20 Little Penguins come ashore, hopping and skidding over the rocks back to their burrows, virtually under our feet. Some were busy lining their burrows with fresh nesting materials, but others were in a more amorous mood and not the least deterred by our presence.

The next morning, the weather on Cradle Mountain was still inclement, and the road to Dove Lake was closed to traffic. After breakfast a break in the weather allowed us to explore the grounds of the lodge. Black Currawongs were confiding, but Yellow Wattlebirds and Crescent Honeyeaters were less so. A mixed flock of endemic Scrubtits and Tasmanian Thornbills was very curious. Along the Enchanted Walk we had close extended views of a female Pink Robin and several Tasmanian Scrubwrens deep in the moss forest. Green Rosellas were foraging among the Pencil Pines.

Black Currawong (Photo © David James)

On the drive to Hobart we stopped for a delicious picnic lunch at Mill Creek Dam. On Lake Dulverton at Oatlands we found a dozen White-eyed Ducks and loads of Hoary-headed Grebes.

On Day 5 we awoke in Hobart to a calm, fine day, seemingly perfect for our scenic flight to Melaleuca. We squeezed in an early visit to the famous Orielton Lagoon in Pittwater Nature Reserve. From the Sorrel side we soon found Musk Ducks, Hoary-headed Grebes, and Great- crested Grebes. Kelp Gulls and Pied Oystercatchers were dotted around the shore. Black-faced Cormorants and a Caspian Tern were quickly in the scope. Two Royal Spoonbills and a Little Egret were both bonus birds, quite rare in Tasmania. A flock of 100 Red-necked Stints flew in to surprise us as we were leaving. We headed to the other side of the Lagoon to look at a small flock of shorebirds. As we left the bus we were greeted by raucous Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Eastern Rosellas, and Musk Lorikeets. On the mudflats were three Red Knots, 50

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Tasmania Extension, 2018 Bar-tailed Godwits, and a single Hudsonian Godwit, a vagrant from America and perhaps only the 10 th Australian record.

We arrived at the aerodrome with high hopes but shortly learned that our flight was cancelled due to fog at Melaleuca. Hastily rearranging our schedule, we headed to Waterworks Reserve, where we found several male Scarlet Robins, some Dusky Woodswallows, Striated Pardalotes, Gray (Clinking) Currawongs, and Satin Flycatchers. Black-headed Honeyeaters gave us excellent views. Along the creek we found a ‘pair’ of Pink Robins, but both females. After lunch we visited Gould’s Lagoon where about 30 Freckled Ducks was an exceptional count. Australian Shovelers and White-eyed Ducks were other highlights. Late in the afternoon we went on a dedicated search for Pink Robin and found six or eight, but once again they were all females!

On Day 6 we learned that our Melaleuca flight was cancelled again. We traveled to the unspoilt Bruny Island for some amazing wildlife encounters. Two Australian Fur Seals were loafing in the glassy calm waters of D’Entrecasteaux Channel, utterly oblivious to the ferry. At Apollo Bay we were immediately amongst the honeyeaters: Yellow Wattlebirds, Yellow-throated Honeyeaters, and Black- headed Honeyeaters. Pallid Cuckoos sat on the powerlines. Along Missionary Road we found Forty-spotted, Spotted, and Striated pardalotes, and after a little patience we observed the Forty-spots mating. Near Adventure Bay we located a pair of Hooded Plovers with some newly hatched chicks. Swift Parrots were in great abundance in Adventure Bay for the first time in several years and impossible to miss. A Green Rosella was confiding in the Bowling Club parking lot. And we got great views of male Brown Quail calling repeatedly and evidently looking for a mate. As we were leaving Adventure Bay, Beverly spied a male Pink Robin from the window of the bus. Luckily we were able to turn around and find it quickly, and at last we all had great close views of this beautiful little Swift Parrot (Photo © Henry Cook) bird.

After lunch we found an exceptionally fat Echidna waddling through a paddock in search of ants. On the top of Mt. Mangana, the Crescent Honeyeaters were busy feeding among the huge

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Tasmania Extension, 2018 and showy red flowers of the magnificent Tasmanian Waratahs. At Mavista we found the little pocket of albino Bennett’s Wallabies and some more Scarlet Robins. Riding back on the ferry, a White-bellied Sea-Eagle circled low over the deck in the afternoon sunshine.

Short-beaked Echidna (Photo ©Terry Cloudman)

On our final day we returned to Bruny Island with a different focus. On North Bruny we searched the saline grasslands and soon found a small flock of White-fronted Chats. A pair of Blue-winged Parrots was elusive at first, but with persistence we watched them drinking at a waterhole and perched low down. Finally we caught up with a showy male Flame Robin and followed it up with another male Pink Robin. We returned to the hotel by midafternoon to give everyone time to relax and pack. That night we shared one last seafood feast while recounting the many highlights of a most memorable week in the great wilderness that is Tasmania.

ITINERARY

1 November : Fly Melbourne to Launceston. AM: Tamar Island Wetlands, and Hadspen. PM: Mountain Valley, Loongana 2 November : AM: Mountain Valley and Levan Canyon. PM: Stanley and on to Cradle Mountain 3 November : AM: Moina and Tasmanian Arboretum PM:, The Bass Strait coast Fern Glade Reserve and Burnie 4 November : Cradle Mountain (enchanted walk) to Hobart via Moina, Mill Ck Dam, Oatlands 5 November : AM: Orielton Lagoon, Waterworks Reserve PM: Gould’s Lagoon, Mt Wellington

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Tasmania Extension, 2018 6 November : Bruny Island 7 November: Bruny Island 8 November: Fly Hobart to Sydney or Melbourne with onward connecting flights

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 Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos * Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa Australian (Australasian) Shoveler Anas rhynchotis (Australian) Grey Teal Anas gibberifrons Chestnut Teal Anas castanea Musk Duck Biziura lobata A Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophora Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus A Little Penguin Eudyptula minor Great-crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus White-capped (Shy) Albatross Thalassarche cauta Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris Australasian Gannet Morus serrator Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris Black-faced Cormorant (Shag) Phalacrocorax fuscescens A Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus Swamp Harrier Great Egret Ardea (Egretta) alba (Photo ©Terry Cloudman) White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae Little Egret Egretta garzetta (Eastern) Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (coromandus ) Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia Swamp Harrier Circus approximans Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus White-bellied Sea-Eagle Halieaatus leucogaster Australasian Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus Tasmanian Native-Hen Gallinula mortierii TE Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 Tasmania Extension, 2018 Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris A Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus A Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis A Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica Red Knot Calidris canutus Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae Pacific Gull Larus pacificus A Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia Great Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii Rock Pigeon Columba livia * Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis * Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera A Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites lucidus Pallid Cuckoo Cacomantis pallidus Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae A* Brown Falcon Falco berigora Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus A Galah Eolophus roseicapilla A Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita Hooded Plover Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma A (Photo ©Terry Cloudman) Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor A Green Rosella Platycercus caledonicus TE Eastern Rosella Platycercus eximius A Musk Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna A 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 White-fronted Chat Epthianura albifrons A Crescent Honeyeater Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera A 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

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 9 Tasmania Extension, 2018 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 Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica Olive Whistler Pachycephala olivacea A 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 Silvereye Zosterops lateralis Bassian Thrush Zoothera lunulata A Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula* European Starling Sturnus vulgaris* Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae European Greenfinch Chloris chloris * European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis * House Sparrow Passer domesticus* Beautiful Firetail Stagonopleura bella A Common Wombat (Photo © David James)

MAMMALS Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus A Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisi TE Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus A Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula A

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 10 Tasmania Extension, 2018 Tasmanian (Red-bellied) Pademelon Thylogale billiardierii TE Red-necked (Bennett’s) Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus A Australian Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus * Brown Hare Lepus capensis * Feral Cat Felis catus *

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

Spotted Skink Carinascincus ocellatus Metalic Skink Carinascincus metalicus A Tiger Snake Notechis scutelatus Eastern Banjo Frog Limnodynastes dumerilli A Common Froglet Crinia signifera A

Pink Robin (Photo ©Terry Cloudman)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 11 Tasmania Extension, 2018