Inala Jurassic Garden - the stronghold of Tasmanian Endemics
In an Eggshell:
Big Zigzag bird species count: 481 (+4 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 87 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag Lifers: 111 (+4 this week: Dusky Robin, Forty-spotted Pardalote, Strong-billed Honeyeater, Black-headed Honeyeater) Campsite Lifers 24 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 157 (+4 this week) eBird days of checklist streak: 215 Week’s special milestones: Big Zigzag list is over 480 which is my current Israeli life list.. Cleanup the biggest Australian endemic family – Pardolets (4 sepcies)
Bird(s) of the Week
Forty-spotted Pardalote
Dusky Robin
Strong-billed Honeyeater
Non-bird image(s)
The Neck – a narrow path between north and south Bruny Island.
Bruny Island
Week's Key location(s)
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 25050 km (this week 55 km)
eBird Checklists this week
1648. 15 Feb 2025 7:24 PM Heritage Park (Geeveston – restricted access), Huon Valley
Big Zigzag bird species count: 477 (+11 this week) Big Zigzag bird families count: 87 (+1 this week: Southern Storm-Petrels) Big Zigzag Lifers: 107 (+5 this week: White-faced Storm-Petrel, Gray-backed Storm-Petrel, Buller’s Albatross, Snowy Albatross, White-headed Petrel) Campsite Lifers 24 (+0 this week) Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 153 (+9 this week) eBird days of checklist streak: 209 Week’s special milestones: none.
Bird(s) of the Week
White-faced Storm-Petrel
Gray-backed Storm-Petrel
Buller’s Albatross
Snowy Albatross
Non-bird image(s)
Week's Key location(s)
Eaglehawk Neck Pelagic – about 80KM round
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 24500 km (this week 900 km)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 86 (+1 this week: Albatrosses)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 94 (+0 this week)
Campsite Lifers 23 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 136 (+0 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 194
Week’s special milestones: none
Bird(s) of the Week
White-capped Albatross – 2 were seen during Bass Strait crossing
Short-tailed Shearwater – hundreds were seen from 2 point on the easter end of Great Ocean Road and during the Bass Strait crossing
Short-tailed Shearwater
Hooded Plover. Disturbed by dogs, protected by volunteers who kindly explain the dog walkers about the vulnerability of this species and why they should walk their dogs on a leash on this beach.
Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys) at Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens
Non-bird image(s)
Crossing the Bass Strait
Hooded Plover. Disturbed by dogs, protected by volunteers who kindly explain the dog walkers about the vulnerability of this species and why they should walk their dogs on a leash on this beach.
Big Zigzag bird families count: 85 (+1 this week: Rollers)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 94 (+3 this week: Turquoise Parrot, White-throated Needletail, Little Buttonquail)
Campsite Lifers 23 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 136 (+3 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 187
Week’s special milestones: Big Zigzag bird #450
Bird(s) of the Week
Turquoise Parrot (Neophema pulchella), not just a beautiful lifer – also the 450th Big Zigzag bird, which happens to be seen after 6 months of zigzagging… Encouraging to see many property owners around Warby-Ovens National Park participating in Practical Parrot Action Project which helps this threatened bird.
This week new bird family for the trip – Rollers with Dollarbird – from a quicky visit to New South Wales.
Noman land Long-billed Corellas, on the bridge over Murray River, between the sister towns of Echuca (Victoria) and Moama (New South Wales).
Azure Kingfisher
Non-bird image(s)
Moama Wetlands and Horseshoe Lagoon, Murray, New South Wales
Pink Rocks
Week's Key location(s)
Warby-Ovens National Park – Turquoise Parrot stronghold.
Not the best place for White-throated Needletail as they fly high above – but this is where I ticked them…
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 21950 km (this week 945 km)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 131 (+0 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 180
Week’s special milestones: None
Bird(s) of the Week
The Middle of Everywhere. This is Central Gippsland promo slogan, which fits this Big Zigzag week, after 6 months. Somewhere in the middle of Victoria, between the golden beaches an Australian Alpine mountains, near the lakes along the sore. In between, as these Yellow-billed & Royal Spoonbills, resting on the wetlands of Sale.
White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos) one of the two members family of White-winged Chough and Apostlebird (Corcoracidae). This family is one of the seven Australian endemic bird families, and the easier to complete. Also called Australian mud-nest builders.
White-winged Chough nest
Non-bird image(s)
Alpine National Park
Wilsons Promontory National Park
Week's Key location(s)
Wilsons Promontory National Park
Alpine National Park
Sale River Heritage & Wetlands Trail
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 21055 km (this week 835 km)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 436 (+14 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 82 (+0 this week: Barn-Owls)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 91 (+7 this week: Pink Robin, Flame Robin, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Beautiful Firetail, White-throated Nightjar, Little Lorikeet, Pilotbird)
Campsite Lifers 23 (+4 this week: Gang-gang Cockatoo, White-throated Nightjar, Little Lorikeet, Pilotbird)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 127 (+9 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 159
Week’s special milestones: bird 555 on my Australia’s list, clean-up Australia’s Cockatoos
Bird(s) of the Week
Clean-up all Australia’s Cockatoos (Cacatuidae) with Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum), which is also monotype genus. Out of 22 species in the family, 14 seen in Australia:
Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo
Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Glossy Black-Cockatoo
Cockatiel
Palm Cockatoo
Gang-gang Cockatoo
Galah
Pink Cockatoo
Western Corella
Little Corella
Long-billed Corella
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Tough one – Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella) hard to get out of the grass… patient and luck needed.
Bunyip State Park–Mortimer Picnic Ground
Flame Robin – ticked at Beauchamp Falls, photographed at Toolangi State Forest.
Pink Robin – Hopefully better photo will follow
Baillon’s Crake -not a lifer but rare and seen twice this week: at Lake Elingamite and at Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve.
Non-bird image(s)
Triangular road, Bunyip State Park near Mortimer Picnic Ground – Beautiful Firetail site
Toolangi State Forest
Toolangi State Forest
Week's Key location(s)
Great Otway National Park–Beauchamp Falls – three lifers location: Pink Robin, Flame Robin, Gang-gang Cocatoo
Triangular road, Bunyip State Park near Mortimer Picnic Ground – Beautiful Firetail site
Bunyip State Park–Helipad – White-throated Nightjar & Sooty Owl site
Yalukit Willam Nature Reserve just across St. Kilda street, Elwood – Little Lorikeet site.
Toolangi State Forest–The Tanglefoot Trails – Pilotbird site.
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 19140 km (650 km this week)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 422 (+17 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 81 (+0 this week: )
Big Zigzag Lifers: 84 (+2 this week: Long-billed Corella, Olive Whistler)
Campsite Lifers 19 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 118 (+9 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 152
Week’s special milestones: none
Bird(s) of the Week
Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus), VU Vulnerable. Endemic to southern Australia sandy ocean beaches. Not a lifer, but much better distance comparing to the one seen in 2018.
Olive Whistler, Enchanted Forest, Glenelg. Back in Victoria lifer.
Surprise lifer! Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) was not on my target list as I have seen it in New South Wales in 2013 & 2018. But after posting today’s checklist on eBird of a random drive stop at Tantanoola, I found that the old reports considered as non-countable exotic species, and today’s birds from South Australia are mentioned on eBird as a lifer!
Having the biggest beak of all birds can be an advantage, although sometimes cause a headache.. Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).
Australasian Gannet colony at Point Danger, near Portland, VIC.
Purple-crowned Lorikeet. Happy with the photo (not with the cable 😜)
Non-bird image(s)
I was trying to photograph the only inland lighthouse in Australia, at Point Malcolm (narrow passage between Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina), but unfortunately the building is not on focus 😜
Echidna. Defiantly not a bird.
Crumpets Beach, VIC.
Week's Key location(s)
Tantanoola is a surprising key location (see Long-billed Corella above)
Enchanted Forest, Olive Whistler site.
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 18490 km (1050 km this week)