Birding Binalong Bay, Tasmania

Back in April our family enjoyed an hour or so exploring the rocky shores and beaches of Binalong Bay, Tasmania.  We all had our cameras out trying to capture the late afternoon Autumn sun playing on the rocks. This township is at the southern end of the Bay of Fires, the whole area noted for the bright orange lichen covering the granite boulders (amongst other things)!

My lens was focussed on our feathered friends as usual ....

Little pied cormorant with some Bay of Fires colour

Australian pelican are just awesome! 

Such a wing-span!

Crested tern landing 

Crested tern on some of the yellower lichen-encrusted granite 

Silvereye wins the berry through sheer perseverance

Superb-fairy wren also contemplates a meal (or a drink)

Black-headed honeyeater recently identified to me by a guide who pointed out a useful ID feature in the black "epaulettes" 

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Bird on!

Bruny Island Oystercatchers - pilates class

A pair of Sooty oystercatchers caught my eye at Adventure Bay on Bruny Island, Tasmania. My presence, in part, roused one of the birds from its slumber. It commenced an impressive stretching routine in preparation for a quick departure should it be required (it wasn't).

Sooty oystercatcher, (Adventure Bay, Tas.), April 2014

Sooty oystercatchers resting, Bruny Island

Generally I think one is more likely to find Sooty oystercatchers on the rocks rather than the sandy beach. The converse applies with the other Oystercatcher we get in Australia - the Pied oystercatcher which prefers mudflats and sandy spits.

The bird shown below was feeding between waves demonstrating the versatility of that amazing bill. This bird is known to be able to split bivalve seashells to extract a morsel. Here it is simply plunging its bill for sand worms.

Pied oystercatcher - Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, Tasmania

This 20 second video (screen grabs above) show how this bird hangs out at the beach!

Bird on!

Wild geese protecting young, birds of Phillip Island

Well its nearing the end of the Victorian winter and it's time for Phillip Island's Cape Barren Geese families to start learning about life. While photographing this young family at Phillip Island's Fishers Wetland I noticed that the parent bird was keeping an eye on something in the sky ....

What's that in the sky? Cape Barren Geese, Phillip Island

The family had been feeding in a relaxed manner spread up to 4-5 metres apart (see iPhone shot above). Over a few seconds things tightened up quite a lot and that's when the adult bird could be seen checking the sky and posturing. I fired off a few more shots while the bird adopted this unusual posture (I am guessing signalling to the young who initially kept feeding and didn't seem at all fussed) ....

.... and I looked up to see what the fuss was about. On this occasion it was a Wedgie but there were also regular fly-overs from Swamp harrier and Whistling kite to keep the locals on their toes.

Wedge-tailed eagle, Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island

Now the parent bird had gathered the young goslings together and appeared to have most of them in a clump - the goslings had stopped feeding.

Checking to see that the threat has moved on

Hmmm ... but that guy's still there!

"Yeah .... He's still there Mum/Dad!"

I am pleased to report that the birds were much less concerned about my presence and wandered off to continue feeding in a relaxed manner. As with all large geese, Cape Barrens can put on quite an aggressive display if they are trying to get a message across - I reckon that they knew they had my measure! 

There were several new families (with between 3-5 chicks) at the wetland and many watchful birds.

Sentries on duty, Cape Barren Geese, Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island

Have you got a pass? 

Cape Barren Geese, Fishers Wetland, Phillip Island, 16 Aug 2014

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Bird on!