South West Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness

South West Tasmanian World Heritage Wilderness
The Naturalist in her habitat

Friday 22 May 2015

Fagus Fever!

Nothofagus gunnii  or Fagus at Mount Field

There's only one truly deciduous tree in Tasmania, its common name is boring, Deciduous Beech.  Its Latin or scientific name is way more interesting: Nothofagus gunnii and in true Aussie style it has been lovingly shortened or nicknamed simply "Fagus".   This tree is not large by local standards, where several species of gum can tower over 90m nearby.  In fact its rare to see a Fagus over five meters.  But what makes it so special is of course the beautiful colours that the foliage produce in autumn, just before they fall off in the wild wind storms.  Oh yeah, and it only grows up on the mountains of Tasmania, so you can't just gaze at it out your window.  You need to get out into some wild and wonderful places to see it.  It's an annual pilgrimage of sorts!
Nothofagus gunnii by Heidi Krajewsky

Monday 4 May 2015

Scarlet Robin

Scarlet Robin ready to chase off other males. By Heidi Krajewsky
I just spent four weeks caretaking the old Quarantine Station on Bruny Island.  I lived in a beautiful wooden house built in 1884, sat on the wide veranda and watched Eastern Quolls scamper around in the evening and the robins perch on every fence post during the day.  The males would often chase each other from one fence post to another, then perch on our car.  The car was covered in guano by the time we left the sleepy place.  I didn't complain having to wash it though, the birding was too good while on Bruny!

My Species List for Bruny Island for April 2015

Birds
Black Swan
Pacific Black Duck
Australian Wood Duck
Chestnut Teal
Hoary-headed Grebe
Little Penguin
Kelp Gull
Pacific Gull
Silver Gull
Black-faced Cormorant
Great Cormorant
Pied Oystercatcher
Sooty Oystercatcher
Hooded Plover
White-faced Heron
Masked Lapwing
Swamp Harrier
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Australian Magpie
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Currawong
Laughing Kookaburra
Forest Raven
Brush Bronzewing
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Green Rosella
Superb Fairy-wren
Dusky Robin
Scarlet Robin
Pink Robin
Grey Fantail
Black-headed Honeyeater
Crescent Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
Yellow Wattlebird
Yellow-throated Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill
Spotted Pardalote
Forty-spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Dusky Woodswallow
Tree Martin
Welcome Swallow
Brown Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Grey Shrike-thrush
Olive Whistler
Golden Whistler
Beautiful Firetail
Common Blackbird
European Goldfinch
Mammals
New Zealand Fur Seal
Tasmanian Pademelon
Bennet's Wallaby
Eastern Quoll
Common Brushtail Possum