Forest Foray
This morning didn't look particularly promising, but I had made up my mind to visit the Wielangta Forest and duly went. I entered the area from the Copping end, which is not as well signposted as I think it should be. I say that because earlier in the week, I had turned off the Bream Creek Rd too soon and never did get to the forest. Well I have to blame someone, couldn't be my navigation. I stopped at a few vantage points to look out over Marion Bay, which had low cloud and probably rain over the sea and there was a stiff cool breeze blowing. It didn't exactly fire me with enthusiasm. I eventually stopped at the southern end of the Wielangta Rd forest walk. All rugged up, I walked about 40 metres from the car into the rainforest and propped 
near the creek. This proved to be as good a choice as I've recently made. From this spot, I watched Tasmanian Scrubwrens, joined briefly by two Scrubtits on the trunk of a eucalypt. A passing 'brown' Golden Whistler was followed closely by a male Pink Robin. This robin, stayed in the general area for the next hour as I tried valiantly to photograph it. The light in this rainforest area was extremely low and I ended up with a lot of poor shots, but I've posted a couple of them anyway. A small flock of Tasmanian Thornbills also passed through, gleaning food off the leaves, mostly hovering to do so. A flock of Strong-billed Honeyeaters flitted noisily past, high overhead. These were followed at intervals by Green Rosellas, Yellow Wattlebirds, Black Currawongs and a solitary Yellow-throated Honeyeater. A family group of Superb-fairy Wrens, the inevitable Forest Ravens and numerous Crescent Honeyeaters were also seen. I later, briefly, visited the Northern end of this walk and found Tasmanian Thornbills, Tasmanian Scrubwrens, Scrubtits and Pink Robins there too. So if your looking for a different venue to see these, mostly endemic species, you might consider visiting the Wielangta Forest. A very satisfactory morning.
This morning didn't look particularly promising, but I had made up my mind to visit the Wielangta Forest and duly went. I entered the area from the Copping end, which is not as well signposted as I think it should be. I say that because earlier in the week, I had turned off the Bream Creek Rd too soon and never did get to the forest. Well I have to blame someone, couldn't be my navigation. I stopped at a few vantage points to look out over Marion Bay, which had low cloud and probably rain over the sea and there was a stiff cool breeze blowing. It didn't exactly fire me with enthusiasm. I eventually stopped at the southern end of the Wielangta Rd forest walk. All rugged up, I walked about 40 metres from the car into the rainforest and propped 
near the creek. This proved to be as good a choice as I've recently made. From this spot, I watched Tasmanian Scrubwrens, joined briefly by two Scrubtits on the trunk of a eucalypt. A passing 'brown' Golden Whistler was followed closely by a male Pink Robin. This robin, stayed in the general area for the next hour as I tried valiantly to photograph it. The light in this rainforest area was extremely low and I ended up with a lot of poor shots, but I've posted a couple of them anyway. A small flock of Tasmanian Thornbills also passed through, gleaning food off the leaves, mostly hovering to do so. A flock of Strong-billed Honeyeaters flitted noisily past, high overhead. These were followed at intervals by Green Rosellas, Yellow Wattlebirds, Black Currawongs and a solitary Yellow-throated Honeyeater. A family group of Superb-fairy Wrens, the inevitable Forest Ravens and numerous Crescent Honeyeaters were also seen. I later, briefly, visited the Northern end of this walk and found Tasmanian Thornbills, Tasmanian Scrubwrens, Scrubtits and Pink Robins there too. So if your looking for a different venue to see these, mostly endemic species, you might consider visiting the Wielangta Forest. A very satisfactory morning.
3 comments:
Alan,
I think the shots of the Pink Robin look terrific, even for low light. We have seen them here, too, and also at the Sandspit River Nature Walk, nearby. These are some of the most reliable spots for Pink Robins we've found. Further to your posting recently on the BROWN Pink Robin at Bellerive, we saw two today at Meehan Range (along with LOTS of Yellow-throats, and others), so the Juveniles are certainly out and about. Not nearly as stunning as these guys, though.
Thanks for your comments John. Although I only posted the Pink Robin, I was trying to make the point that this spot 'houses' a good spread of, for some, the most difficult of the endemics to find and I saw them from within a few metres of the same spot. It is rather further out than Fern Tree though and I sometimes wish there was rather more direct access from Hobart!
I agree about the spread of species here, Alan. And if you take into account the whole forest drive, will opportunities for waders and sea birds at either end - especially Orford end - and some of the other diverese habitat getting to and from Weilangta, it has certainly given us some of our most productive birding. And still, lots of people we talk to don't know where it is!
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