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!

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!

Yellow wattlebirds - What's with the wattle?!

Yellow wattlebird, Evandale, Tasmania (April 2014)

One of Tasmania's endemic bird species, the Yellow wattlebird is the largest of Australia's wattlebirds and also our largest honeyeater. It also has the largest and most ungainly looking wattles of the four wattlebird species. The wattles are the pendulous, yellow-orange bits of fleshy tissue hanging from the neck.

A close encounter with one in the township of Evandale's Pioneer Park got me curious about these structures! If what I read is true then having an impressive wattle is more likely to get you a mate. Females and males are alike.

Yellow wattlebird posing obligingly among the autumn colours of an exotic Silver birch

Anatomically wattles are lumped together with other caruncles such as dewlaps and snoods! I feel that these words are underused - rarely seen or heard in literature, music or general conversation. This travesty makes one's wattles stand on end!

The other striking feature of the Yellow wattlebird is that impressively long tail

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday makes me all snoody

Bird on!