Green Rosella Parrot

Whilst staying in Port Arthur we had visitors namely the Green Rosella or Tasmanian Rosella and it's a species of parrot native to Tasmania and Bass Strait Islands.  

Where we stayed was a bush setting.

I took these photos with my phone and was so thrilled with the results.

The first two shots were on the same day then the next day a much younger one appeared.

The Plover came to visit. I've shown a few photos before that I've taken of the plovers over the years, you can read about them [ here ] 

The Birds next door!

 It's raining today Sunday but it's only a little rain which I declare is finished now.   Whilst eating Sunday's lunch out the window I noticed 2 birds sitting on the next door's children's playhouse, so I ventured outside with the camera and from underneath the eaves of our house I took these few shots - actually it was 26 photos but I'm rather happy with what I captured seeing as I wasn't using my tripod!

Monday week we are off on over a months holiday down south of the Island for Christmas, New Year and beyond.  I trust there will be new photos of places, things and objects I will bring back with me to show you.

UPDATE ON DOVES

Those doves are Spotted Doves, 

Scientific Name: Streptopelia chinesis

The Spotted Dove is Native to Eastern Australia. Introduced into Australia mid 1800's to the early 1900's.

A Birthday

It was our youngest Grandchild's Birthday on the 27th October.  Master Z was 8 years old, he is pictured here at his house with his mum our daughter in law.  I must say the birthday cake was ever so tasty.  Eldest son took the photo of his wife and son.

The video was taken at Tail Race Park where we used to have many birthday parties when the children were younger, grandchildren that is.  It's by the Tamar River on the other side of town, has a play area for the children, barbecues under cover, and a good walking track.

We went out to dinner Friday night and had to meet my husbands two sisters and one husband.   We parked the vehicle went inside the restaurant Steve's Grill said who we were but no table booked under the name, husband looked at message on his phone only to discover he had the wrong night, wasn't Friday night as he thought it was Saturday night. We apologized headed to the vehicle and it was raining so we sat in it and said, 'what are we going to do now'. We headed back to Steve's Grill and had a meal.  Scallops, chips and salad, you can see that I have half eaten my meal as there were 12 scallops.  Yes, we went there again last night (Saturday) met the husbands family ate and got home about 1am in the morning after visiting eldest sister in law for the remainder of the evening.

Birds

Tasmanian Native Hens are good swimmers and fast runners with strong legs therefore some people call them 'turbo chooks'. The chooks can run up to 50km hour are plentiful  near marshes, rivers and so on. The Native Hen is protected.  Link to better photos I took last year is [here ]

In the current photos the Chook was some distance away. Then photos of some ducks down Huonville, Tasmania.

Plovers you can read about them [ here ]

The Plover

Went shopping on Monday and in the carpark garden we came across this Plover who is nesting there.

Photo taken with my phone and I couldn't get close because the plover would get angry. 

Plovers are a protected species in Tasmania where I live. More to read about the Plover

 

 

Towards Elliot Heads, Queensland

We travelled along to Elliott Heads same day as it's not far to view the scenery and see what was there.

Elliott Heads is a coastal town just 17km south east of Bundaberg with just over 1,000 people. The river there was named after the first Speaker of the Queensland Parliament, Sir Charles Ellott.

The photo of the duck was taken not too far away and the train is a coal one we encountered on the way to Bundaberg.

The photos are of the area and that house has a great view of the Coral Sea.

Birds of Bowen, Queensland

We drove from Ayr in Queensland to Bowen about 1 hour 30 minute drive after several days, thus we were heading south.
We've stayed in Bowen several times so there are several posts on Bowen from past years, this time taking photos of something different.

A few birds came into the caravan park in the late afternoon, to capture the birds I decided to sit outside with my camera and hopefully get a close up..

The first 3 photos are of the Australian Rosella parrot. Sorry they are Rainbow Lorikeets. Thanks David.

Don't know the name of the bird below.

This seagull amused us.  We had lunch on the table at the beach and all these seagulls came to visit wanting something to eat.  The seagull on the table (both photos of one seagull, it's the same one)
was with all the other seagulls on the table but this one shooed all the others off and they didn't dare to come back on the table, some tried but they got pecked off....just amazing to watch.

Someone might know why the 'one' seagull did this.

Burdekin Bridge, Queensland

After staying nearly a week in Mackay we headed further north to Ayr to get warm.  The tropics are not always warm in the dead of winter.

The bridge is part of the Highway.
The Burdekin Bridge spans the Burdekin River between the towns of Ayr and Home Hill, Queensland, Australia. Located on the Bruce Highway which is part of Highway 1, it is an important link in the national road network.

Originally, it was thought that the bridge could not be built in its present location. No trace of rock could be found on which to build the bridge foundations. In 1946, two high-ranking Government engineers visited India to inspect a number of bridges built on sand foundations. The same technique was used for the Burdekin Bridge and it is the only bridge in  The bridge rests on 11 huge, hollow, concrete caissons sunk into the river bed. The caissons are 17 metres across the top (measured parallel to the stream) and vary in width from 5.5 to 7.6 metres. The caissons were sunk into the river bed to a depth of about 30 metres. Add to that the approximately 20 metres that the caissons rise above the bed and the end result is some very massive pieces of concrete. Each weighs about 4,000 tons. The caissons were fitted with steel "cutting edges" to help them sink. The steel used in the cutting edges weighed 238 tons.
Wikipedia

Where we were parked in the Caravan Park at Ayr, Queensland.

It's hard to believe that we travelled a long way to get warm in winter last year.

Everywhere was cold expect at Ayr, but on the way home it was warm in most places.

Bakers Beach

Narawntapu National Park which includes Bakers Beach where one has to pay a fee to enter or buy a yearly pass which we do every two years, yes you can get one for that time.
There is only one road into the park.
Opposite to that sign (below) one can come by boat from Port Sorell which is on the other side of the beach, we used to do this for several years on a Sunday years ago to water ski in this area.  Those times there was no fee and no road into Bakers Beach.

Below is a Pademelon which is a small marsupial, they can be distinguished from wallies by their shorter, thicker, and sparsely haired tail.
Above is a Parrot taken from a distance out the vehicle's window so it's not that clear.

Wallabies are just everywhere, they are much smaller than kangaroos.  If you look hard in the below photo and enlarge it you will see them dotted along the side of the right hand side of the road and in the bushes.

Above photo is part of the camping area which is low cost, no showers in this area or power, toilets are available.  However within the National Park in one area close to the Information Centre there is a campsite with power, toilets and showers for a low cost.

Both photos are of Bakers Beach.  The top one is a short part of the beach and the bottom one is the long beach and just as long in the opposite direction.

Below the walkway out from the beach.

The noise and the Caravan Park.

Down Huonville Tasmania we stayed in the caravan park there, beautiful green grass and a large park.
We are all thinking of going there for Christmas, would be different.

The day before we left in the afternoon the cockatoos were making a very loud noise for just ages, usually when this happens something is going to happen as in rain, bad weather.  They were right those cockatoos, it poured during the night and the wind howled - natures birds are wonderful creature letting us know.

Photos are of the caravan park. There is a small river that runs at the bottom of the park called Mountain River, people swim in it and go kayaking they were doing that when we were there as the weather was rather warm for April.

Photo borrowed.

Eldest son setting up his caravan with our van to his left of the photo.

The fire-pit we used most towards dinner time.

Mountain River at the end of the caravan park.