The Tasmanian stage of my adventure began with thirteen
endemics to find before I depart on the 8th for ACT. The Waterworks
Reserve is situated in the Mount Wellington jurisdiction which is a very handy
fifteen minutes away. All thirteen endemics have been recorded at this reserve
and the slopes to the mountain.
I spent the evening hoping to hear Morepork (split from
Boobook) or even a Masked Owl but the masses of Sulphur Crestead Cockatoos were
making enough noise for everything to be drowned out. The birds are much bigger
that the cage birds you see at home.
This morning I walked the Upper and Lower trails and succeeded
in identifying Tasmanian Thornbill which has a white rump and rufous tinge on
the tail feathers. I flushed a Bassian Thrush from the path this bird then sat
tight at the back of a shrub evry time I crept forward the bird shuffled round
then took its opportunity to escape the paparazzi.
On the opposite side of the reserve Yellow Throated
Honeyeater were easily located.
Followed in quick succession by Black headed Honeyeater both
species enjoying an early morning feed.
Around 9am a large school group was seen marching in pairs
up the path. It was time to move further up the slope towards Fern Tree and the
Fern Glade track which is opposite the pub. I walked up Middle track to the
gravel path around what looked like a water tank. I heard and then staked out
Yellow Wattlebird who were skulking around in the trees and not behaving as the
book describes.
I walked most of the network of tracks from here playing
another game of peek-a-boo with Tasmanian Scrubwren. The day was not overly
sunny therefore I wonder if these birds were just more cautious or less active
today.
That brings the total of endemics to five. I have
photographed many Currawong some juvenile birds and cannot positively identify
a Black from the subspecies of Grey Currawong on the island. Both are present
along with Forest Raven which could be mistaken in flight.
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