Melaleuca - Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Blue Winged Parrot by Dale Watson, on Flickr
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Melaleuca - Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Blue Winged Parrot by Dale Watson, on Flickr
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Brilliant, Dale.
When was this photo taken? I ask because if it was before the migration of Orange-bellied Parrots to the mainland (that's if this species isn't extinct now) I'm wondering if you saw any Orange-bellied Parrots.
I count it as one of the greatest priveleges of my life to have observed 4 species of Neophemas, including the Orange-bellied Parrot, simultaneously in a patch of sunflower near Langhorne Creek in SA many years ago. The sunflower was grown by a local ornithologist to attract & conserve the Orange-bellied Parrot since so much desecration of their habitat has occurred here in SA.
Hi Woko, thanks for your comments.
It was taken just last Thursday, 13th January. Yes I did see Orange Bellied Parrots (if you look at my big year challenge there is a couple of pics there). We had 11 OBPs on the feed table at the same time, a truly remarkable experience. I have some 300 or so photos, so you can expect a photo heavy post in the next few days hopefully. I have just picked a couple to get started. Having seen them for yourself, you can relate to how excited and happy I was, and for that matter still am!
There were 23 OBP (15 females which is the highest number of girls for some time) return from the mainalnd shores this year, and with some help from the breeding program, they still have some hope. Follow the link below to check their progress.
https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/conservation/threatened-species-and-communities/lists-of-threatened-species/threatened-species-vertebrates/orange-bellied-parrot
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
A somewhat encouraging read, Dale. Thanks so much for that. It would be great if all the efforts of so many people bear fruit.
Dale,
A beautiful little bird, and an amazing experience with the OBPs also.
Thanks RJJT, I am still trying to find time to post some photos of the OBPs, hopefully tomorrow. I would thoroughly recommend the trip, if your keen to see them in the wild. It's around $600 for the day, so you would need to be pretty keen. Otherwise I am led to believe they have some at Healesville Sanctuary in Victoria, but it might pay to check if they are on display or not. Healesville Santuary is a major player in the captive breeding program, which it seems without this, they may already have been extinct by now.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania