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!

Doongalla beauty & a 100th birthday

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo, Doongalla Reserve, The Dandenongs

The last time I posted from Doongalla was in early September (a Spring morning). Last Sunday afternoon the feel was decidedly different as we had our first warmer day of the early Summer. Birds could be heard but seemed harder to spot. Golden whistler in particular seemed to have retreated to the canopy perhaps less interested in courting than they were in Spring.

It was during a birding walk away from the main group that my companions Richard and Moses pointed out my birding highlight of the afternoon (see Moses video of the YTB and a Crimson rosella at its nest here):

Richard then located this cheeky Golden whistler that had been teasing us for several minutes.

Golden whistler

I can claim that I located the White-browed scrubwren and Fan-tailed cuckoo unassisted!

Dreamy Doongalla

This botched out-of-focus iPhone shot does actually convey the dreamy feel of the afternoon!
(added a blurred vignette later on)

The birding ramble was an aside for an interested trio - the main event was a family 100th birthday after-party! In the photo below we see our 100 year old "Greatie" seated second from left. Her siblings, all seated, had travelled from Sydney for the party the day prior and witnessed the Queen's letter etc. Her two daughters, one who had travelled from Finland for the occasion, are standing.

If we forget about the two ankle-biters at the back, we have 370 years of sibling experience in this one picture!
A further 98 year old sister couldn't make the trip from Sydney.

The Doongalla homestead burnt down, the land reclaimed by government and the bush allowed to re-grow but at the time of Greatie's birth Doongalla apparently looked like this.

Bird on (for many a year)!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Birds adding colour to the forest, Tarra Valley

Eastern spinebill, Tarra Valley

This spinebill was a late arrival at a flowering tree that was already playing host to several honeyeater species at the weekend. The location is the steep rainforested valley of the Tarra River in Gippsland. New Holland honeyeater and Crescent honeyeater were also present at this tree (I don't know the name I'm afraid).

New Holland honeyeater (above and below) 

I failed to get a decent picture of a Crescent honeyeater despite it being the bird I was most interested in. I rarely see them! 

Crescent honeyeater (male)

Crescent honeyeater (female)

But let us not get distracted by honeyeaters when there are cockatoos and parrots to be found!

Rosellas, Australian king-parrot, Sulphur-crested and Yellow-tailed black cockatoo were frequently seen.

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (above & below) 

Sulphur-crested cockatoo

Australian King-parrot (immature or female)

Some Australian icons were commonplace. Kookaburras were easy to photograph - Superb lyrebird not so on this occasion. I saw two female lyrebirds but the extremely dim rainforest light meant that the birds became a brown blur in my photographs. I fondly remember this day in 2011 when a lyrebird explored at arm's length enabling photography and video with short lenses.

Non-feathered Aussie fauna was also seen including wombats, koalas and possums but a chance sighting of a platypus was a highlight.

Laughing kookaburra

Platypus (a distant, cropped view, taken from a bridge over the Tarra River) - a rare opportunity for a photograph of this unique animal.

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo drinks from the Goodradigbee

That's a river.

We are again at Wee Jasper, NSW, and the call and flight of this iconic bird can be witnessed many times a day. Mostly they are seen in flight or noisily eating in the tree tops....

"Weeeel-yarr!"

This bloke however was a little thirsty and came down for a drink....

Unfortunately the bird was obscured by the steep bank when he was drinking. So far I continue to be disappointed at my results when photographing this iconic bird (I want to get that tail fanned)!

Big fans of the beach!

One day I will take a decent photo of a fantail. Today is not that day but did enjoy good views of Grey fantail right down on the beach walking east from Silverleaves, Phillip Island today.

Also seen were Hooded plover, Red-capped plover (recently nesting AT Silverleaves beach), Crested tern, Masked lapwing and Superb fairy-wren to name a few. As well as ibis and great cormorants flying over there wes also two sightings of Royal spoonbill.

The purpose of the walk was to visit the site when the Grand-parents came across Pied oystercatcher hatchlings (nearly stepped on them apparently) last weekend (20 November). Here's Harry's picture.

Pied oystercatcher hatchling
Photo H. Farthing

Today at low tide, approaching from a distance I did see a ball of fluff running for cover through the binoculars (just the one). I was then taken aback by the sight of a Pied osytercatcher actually walking towards me!

Hmmm, am I getting warmer?

A couple of flight displays (swoops) told me I wasn't really wanted and I moved on.

Later in the day we also enjoyed views of a flock of Yellow-tailed blacks (12) moving through the banksia and Latham's snipe (9) enjoying a temporary wetland as we started the drive back to Melbourne. These photos taken from the car in Honeysuckle Grove, Silverleaves:

Snipe @ Silverleaves
Around 6 birds in this view alone

Latham's snipe, 7.40PM EDST

Seeing snipe here was very much a chance sighting and will probably result in continued slow-driving past wetlands behaviour for many years to come!