The intriguing Musk Duck - Swan Lake, Phillip Island

Musk duck sit low in the water "platypus like". The presence of the leathery flap under the bill indicates that this is a male

As Pizzey says "A very strange duck". This one was swimming and diving quite close to our vantage point at Swan Lake's northern bird hide. The flow of "water off the duck's back" was quite impressive.

That tail flick again in case you missed it....!

This female bird was giving itself a belly rub (the back half of the bird is twisted belly-up)

Little black cormorant - love that eye colour!

Black swan

As usual there was good numbers of Eurasian coot

We surprised a Royal spoonbill who left the water to perch somewhat precariously on the ti-tree.

A very curious Brown thornbill was actually too close to the camera!

In the bird hide Welcome swallow chicks were excited by a camera flash until a "grown-up" came to settle things down 

Bird on!

Yellow-tailed black cockatoos, Clarendon Homestead, Tas

'Seemed to come across Yellow-tailed black cockatoos more frequently in Tasmania (most days) than I would expect to on the mainland (occasional). I love their calls and unusual flight.

This group of about 15 birds was photographed at an old homestead called Clarendon. They arrived while we were visiting and immediately started tearing into the pine cones of these trees. Every now and then a missile would drop with a thud (on top of a car in one instance)! They were quite heavy!

Some shots of the homestead and grounds ....

While gazing skywards ....

Tassie Wedge-tailed eagles are said to be the largest of the species.

Bird on!

Hide & Seek with a Spinebill - Birding Phillip Island

Silverleaves was pretty wet at times this last winter.

As the old saying goes: It was good weather for ....

Australian wood-duck took to the water where there was usually just grass

A few Chestnut teal had also moved in 

Waterlogged. "The Common" at Silverleaves

Birding was still OK albeit with damp feet! This Eastern spinebill was hanging around our house playing hide & seek.

Hiding in the correa. Eastern spinebill, Phillip Island

Playing peek-a-boo with a grevillea. Eastern spinebill, Phillip Island

There's nowhere to hide on fence wire! Eastern spinebill

 Another individual I'm getting to know is one of the local kookaburras. "He" also like sitting on wires.

Laughing kookaburra. This is his good side.

Here it is giving all in song. At first I thought his eye was just closed but his right eye is not normal

I see him 'round from time to time

The Common - uncommonly wet (Winter 2014)!

Bird on!

The amazing Tasmanian Silvereye!

Silvereye Zosterops lateralis, Race lateralis

These little guys are amazing. I read that in early Autumn many of them migrate from Tasmania across Bass Strait to the Australian mainland only to return in August-October. I was observing this group feeding on small green insects in the northern Tasmanian town of Evandale in April this year. If I had been more cognizant of this amazing fact at the time I would have been more awe-struck in their presence! This little group may have been about to embark on a remarkable journey!

Little is known of the reasons why and how they migrate. It is wondered if they island hop along the eastern Bass Strait islands. This in turn raises another theory that this migration may be an evolutionary hangover of when Tasmania was connected to the mainland! There is a piece about the Mystery Migration of the Tiny Silvereye at ABC Science.

I have very little confidence that I could tell a Tasmanian silvereye from a mainland one (and I suspect in Southern Victoria we may share the Tasmanian race lateralis) but I'll be having a closer look from now on! A whiter throat (as distinct from yellow) and browner flanks makes your Silvereye more likely to be a Taswegian Traveller.

According to the books they'd be on their way back to Tassie now for this year's return trip but watch for them next winter along south eastern Australia!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!