"Calling all Wildlife lovers!" ??…common Azure Kingfisher - not so fast?! This 'Tasmanian Azure Kingfisher' ( Calyx aureus subsp. diemenensis ) is endangered and endemic to Tasmania - and to our knowledge - has never been photographed on Bruny Island with only a handful of irregular 'unconfirmed' sightings in the past; 'hence, it was considered to have never existed on Bruny.' So, you could imagine our excitement in having this beautiful specimen frequent our 'Bruny Island Coastal Retreat's' nature reserve - obviously due to being exceptionally rare throughout Tasmania, let alone Bruny - but then our complete dismay to learn of the federal 'Department of Environment' (who are tasked with stopping Australia's world-leading and accelerating species extinction rate) having its job numbers slashed by a third, all in the same day!
What's the population of this beautiful bird - 'numbers are scarce estimates'? Are they holding steady or heading towards extinction - 'no one knows'? Unfortunately, the only authority that 'monitored such' is experiencing its own reclassification from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered and most likely hastening the negative trend for many Australian species by receiving yet another nail in their collective coffin!
Gallery
More Bruny Island Journal
Amy and Kim get married
Congratulations to Amy & Kim on getting married. They held their wedding ceremony and reception at Bruny Island Lodge.
Te Rapunga at the Wooden Boat Festival, Hobart
Erika Grundmann, author of Dark Sun, and Tracy Thomas from Bruny Island Coastal Retreats, appear on ABC Radio Hobart to talk about the restoration of Te Rapunga and the Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart.
Introducing—Our Amazing 'Mornington Peninsula' Escape
Nestled in one of Australia's most popular National Parks and surrounded by its 4,400 acres of native forest, resides a mainland nature escape like no other.
The Solitude of birds
Perhaps it is something about the island that makes us like birds, both happy in our solitude and eager for a chat.