Northern Rockhopper Penguin in Tasmania

On Saturday 24 February, Chris Haskett sent me a private message on Instagram and told me about a Rockhopper Penguin in Tasmania. I have only met Chris in person once or twice, but he is a great guy and likes my books. We follow each other on FB and Instagram. As with many people younger than I am, he is most active on Instagram. I contacted my dear friend Karen Dick who lives in Tassie and learned that it was a Northern Rockhopper Penguin, quite the mega-rarity, and it was moulting. It was in Southport, where it was just hanging around doing its moulting-thing in basically the same little spot. 

He was hanging around moulting up on the bank behind that big stump

Sunday was my little granddaughter’s second birthday, so I could not go immediately. I talked with my old birding companion, Robert Shore and he drove down from NSW Monday and spent the night here at the house. Then he and I flew down to Tassie Tuesday morning returning that evening. It was a down and back flying twitch. I had previously only done one of those. That was in December 2019 when I flew up and back to Sydney to twitch a Kentish Plover. 

We were successful. Joy.

Robert Shore walking toward the penguin spot. It was a very short walk.

We had wonderful views of the slightly woebegone penguin. Moulting ain’t pretty, but he was still so cute. We took some photos and left him be. After a late, lite lunch we turned in our hire car and rode their shuttle to the airport. 

I will quickly recommend East Coast Car Rentals. We had excellent service and they saved us a lot of money compared to the car rentals inside the airport. East Coast is only 5 or so minutes from the terminal by their shuttle. The only lowish point of the day was that our flight back was delayed by almost an hour. So I did not get home until after midnight and that’s late for this old guy.

I heard that a few days ago the penguin finished his moult, and happy and healthy, went on his way. Yes, Elvis has left the building. 

But then... only five days later I flew with my dear buddy James from Melbourne to Horn Island in Far North Queensland to begin a week in the Torres Strait on the boat, Tropical Paradise birding Boigu, Dauan and Saibai Islands. 

Photo by a friend off Boigu Island almost in PNG in a Zodiac on 6 March 2024. This is me living my most authentic self. Not easy for me.

And oh my friends, what a week it was! Those tales are coming quite soonish and I will post them here. Thank you all for allowing me to share my adventures with you. Please follow my blog.

Sending love as I do ❤️