Tamar Island Wetlands, Tasmania

I visited this intriguing place in the chill of a squally late afternoon in April this year. The birding wasn't great that evening but I suspect I just "lucked-out" as it looks like a great spot!

Superb fairy-wren, Tamar Wetlands Reserve

This information brochure describes how the island in the middle of the Tamar River was originally surrounded by marshland. It was used as a base for dredging to make the river more navigable. Eventually the waterway to the west of the island was filled with scuttled ships and barges thereby increasing the flow through the eastern channel. This was to increase boating access to the Port of Launceston.

A impressive history of how "progress" determines the nature of the local landscape!

Now the island and wetlands to the west of the island are a reserve with boardwalks, hides and other facilities including an "interpretative centre".

Great egret arrives, Tamar Wetlands Reserve 

Pacific gull

Chestnut teal - a chilly way to get a feed! 

Masked lapwing looks to be wishing it was a migratory bird!

Black swan

Little black cormorant on the remains of scuttled vessels?

Black-fronted dotterel

Purple swamphen

Introduced Common greenfinch enjoying one of the exotic trees of Tamar Island planted over 100 years ago

Approaching Tamar Island on one of the boardwalks

A pot of gold at Launceston

Looking south through the long lens to Launceston some 10km away and a good sized (150+) flock of white birds never came close enough for identification (first guess would be Australian white ibis)!

The bird hide

Slowly getting used to ebird (but I do miss the simple but versatile Eremaea!)

Google earth view showing the wetlands and main walking trail. The car park is back at the highway. Now I wonder what that green circle can be!?

My iphoto geotags for this walk!

Bird on!

The mystery of the Balerot bird

The Phillip Island Historical Society has recently had a display featuring extracts from the Nature Notes of Mary Potter (nee Anderson) of Bass, San Remo and Phillip Island, 1915. The display board focussed on her bird notes and showed copies of Mary's actual text accompanied by a modern photograph of the bird as we know it. It is alway fascinating (and somewhat depressing) to read about the bird species that used to be in the region but are now locally extinct.

Now when the society member came across Mary's "Balerot" bird no picture was forthcoming ....

I have since developed a theory about the mysterious "Balerot"!

After trying all the obvious bird guide and Internet searches that perhaps ought have revealed me a balerot I thought it was time to question a few assumptions. Amongst other questions arose "Was it not a bird?" Other creatures do nest.

But I think the real clue came in examining the hand writing (exposure to doctor's handwriting and some time spent doing genealogical research may have helped). My theory goes that the heading which apparently reads "Balerot" is either another person's handwriting or another word altogether. Examination of Mary's handwriting in the text below the heading reveals that the "er" in the words "numerous" and "where" are written quite differently to the so called "er" in "Balerot".

The next part of my theory is that what initially appears to be "er" is actually "co". Instead of "erot" we have "coot". This leaves us with "Balcoot" and if I stretch my theory a little further this is not too far removed from "Bald coot".

Bald coot was another name for the Purple swamphen as depicted in this plate which I take to be from the late 1800s in a University of Tasmania collection - Bird paintings of the 'Bald Coot' (porphyria melanotus) by Alfred May (1862-1948) Tasmania

Porphyhyrio porphyrio melanotus would also "tick the boxes" for Mary Potter's statement (their nests are pretty obvious):

 "very numerous about the Bass River and at Newhaven where they used to nest"

Purple swamphen, Porphyrio porphyio melanotus (Fishers Wetland, Newhaven, Phillip Island)

In a twist that makes my theory a little less neat, another bird warrants consideration. The Eurasian coot is another waterbird that is very common locally and also is globally very well-known as the Bald coot.

Eurasian coot (Swan lake, Phillip Island)

So we have two contenders for the identity of Mary Potter's "Balerot" (or "Bald Coot") - Purple swamphen or Eurasian coot. What do you think?

I am certainly sending off my little theorem to the Society for consideration!

Bird on!

Kimberley Reserve, Chirnside Park

This reserve is on the urban fringe of eastern Melbourne. It is probably most recognised locally as the home of the local footy and cricket clubs with two ovals at its southern end. A chain of man-made ponds extends northwards fed by storm water drainage. The reserve has a crushed gravel walking trail along both sides of the wetlands. This is well utilised by walkers with dogs - a good 50% of which were off-lead during my visit (despite signage making it clear that this was prohibited).

The eremaea list impressed me so I was bound to be disappointed of course! However nice views of this White-plumed honeyeater as well as sightings of Hardhead lifted the spirits (which weren't really all that low given it was a spankingly sunny winter's afternoon!).

It's good to see Australasian grebe getting their colour back making them easier to differentiate from their Hoary-headed counterparts!

Kings in Grass Castles

I was intrigued by these clumps of reeds. Are they planted that way or are they growing naturally. The Purple swamphen loved them

Hardhead and Grey teal

Purple swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio

Little pied cormorant

Large block residential living in Chirnside Park - where the suburbs are taking over the paddocks

Each pond had a low wall and covered drain

Urban fringe - Google Maps satellite image of Kimberley Reserve

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Birds return to a re-established wetland, Phillip Island

Fishers Wetland is a very accessible wetland situated on Phillip Island.  With sealed road access just a few minutes off the main Phillip Island Tourist route, car park, boardwalk and bird hide things don't get much easier. During a recent visit I took some time to read the explanatory signage which talked a little of the history of this re-established wetland (at bottom of post).

Here's a little of what I saw this day.

White-plumed honeyeater was the "honeyeater of the day"

White-plumed honeyeater. This bird demonstrated its acrobatics while feeding on inset larvae (I think) in the bushland section of the wetland reserve

There were a few comings and goings.

Black swan

Black-winged stilt and Red-kneed dotterel. I do love catching up with stilts. The shots below show what they do with that long bill.

In Australia we call these Purple swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio

Swamp harrier paid a visit and caused some havoc

Superb fairy-wren

Dusky moorhen

Farmland as recent as 1998! That seems like a really quick turn around to me!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!