Saturday, May 3, 2014

Pink robins at Fern Tree Glade, Hobart

If  you're a birder on family holiday in Tasmania there is a useful side trip on your drive up or down Hobart's Mt Wellington. This is to visit Fern Glade which is close to the locale known as Fern Tree. It's only 500m off the main route up the mountain and has been described as reliable for Pink robin.

Pink Robin, Fern Tree, Tasmania
Family may prefer to have a hot chocolate or other beverage at the Fern Tree Tavern! There is also the option of inspecting the playground or old church from which the Fern Glade track departs. I allowed myself a hopeful, solitary wander for 20-30 minutes and as the photo attests my Pink robin found me just as time was running out!

Tasmanian scrubwren, Fern Tree, Tasmania


View looking northeast from Mt Wellington showing Hobart suburbs, bushland and the estuary of the Derwent River
Around urban Hobart birding reflects the varying landscape. Birds seen are those that flourish on the wide salty water way and birds that have adapt well to development (including introduced species).

Distant view of more Hoary headed grebe than I have ever seen before just below the MONA gallery, Hobart.

At our motel a large number of Mallard of both sexes had me checking on the differences between the "wild" and "domestic" versions of this bird.  Clearly maintaining their population and "wild" in that sense it is my understanding that ebird nomenclature has these guys considered a (half) tick under the "Mallard (domestic type)"!

Silvereye, Hobart
Crested tern, Hobart
Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday


Bird on!

8 comments:

  1. Great stuff with the Pink Robin Pete, guessing that is a lifer, as well as the Tasmanian Scrub-wren. Worthwhile trip. Lovely view looking down towards Hobart too. Another excellent post. Congrats, cheers, Richard

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  2. HI Pete I see you managed to shot a Sliver Eye, not easy. Love the robin. never seen that one.

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  3. A gorgeous view and the pink robin is very cute.

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  4. I must say the Pink Robin was a highlight; great shot at it Pete!

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  5. What a view from the Mt Wellington, superb, and of course the Pink Robin..... Brilliant bird.

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  6. A lovely series - I do love the robin! Seen on Wild Bird Wednesday

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  7. I will store this reliable pink robin site away for future use! Nice little bird.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  8. Hi Pete, thanks for the post. I'm Praveen from Sydney. I'm planning a trip to hobart to see the pink robin in the first week of august. May I ask if this is a good tie to see the robin? And I will head straight to Fern Tree walking track as soon as I alight my flight. Any suggestions where I'm likely to spot the bird or is it the whole track in general?

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