Summer in Tasmania

1 Dec: breezy, cool, clearing
2 Dec: clear and fine
3 Dec: cloudy, then rain in the afternoon, and overnight
4 Dec: overcast in the morning, then rain and sleet in the afternoon
5 Dec: overcast, some heavy showers. Clearing at sunset
6 Dec: broken clouds to start, then mist and drizzle, rain off and on, clearing later
7 Dec: overcast, some drizzle and showers, then clearing
8 Dec: broken clouds, then clearing, one stray shower

On 2 Dec, one of the nice days, we had arranged a guided day of birding on Bruny Island, in the far south of Tasmania. It worked out perfectly, considering what it could have been. Bruny is carved into bay after spectacular bay with intervening farmland and forest land. Our guide led us on a very compact day of birding and botanical sights, leading us to all 12 species endemic to Tasmania, and a bunch of new birds for the trip. One highlight was an evening stop at the little penguin and short-tailed shearwater colony on the island. At dusk, shearwaters begin swirling over the nesting colony in groups of hundreds or more, and just at dark, groups of up to 30 or so penguins (these guys are only 2 lbs each) come out of the water and, huddled together for protection from predators, scamper across the beach into the dune grass. An avian spectacle for sure.