An Easy Day

I woke to heavy rain but after breakfast in bed and a read it stopped. The temperature had risen to 16C by the time we left late morning - after I'd written up part of yesterday's lost Blog. Lonawanna, a settlement of a dozen widely scattered houses, has a shop, the second on the island. It sells everything from plumbing equipment to food, stamps, hot pies and ice-cream. I wanted some batteries, they had those too.
Cape Bruny Lighthouse was the destination. The drive is, of course, gravel, through a forest with views of the sea in the distance. We found some stunning deep red-belled flowers, which Tonya (owner of Inala) tells us is a Tasman endemic, common name, Christmas Bells.

As the forest ended and the descent into coastal scrub began, there was a great view out to the Cape.

We didn't fancy walking in the stiff breeze, we drove on to eat lunch in a sheltered spot, surprised by three giant, squawking Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, bursting out of the treetops.
A leisurely drive back, adding another endemic to the list, Black-headed Honeyeater and our first definite Pacific Gull, told from the very similar Kelp by a heavy red-tipped beak and a broad black banded tail, visible in flight.

Next stop, the post office in Alannah to buy stamps and to discover that the post will not go until Monday!
I spent some time admiring and stalking a stunning male Scarlet Robin, the Flame Robin only appeared distantly. Why can't they ever perch on something photogenic and with the light in the right place for a shiny eye? Never satisfied.....

Pausing at the shed where Pam bought a polo shirt in aid of Swift parrots, we added Forty-spotted Pardalotes at last. They're little Bs, small, active and confined to the top of tall eucalyptus trees, very difficult in windy conditions.
Just before dusk, the Wallabies start their evening bounce by. They come out of the forest and run past our side verandah down to the forest below, where there's a grazing field. They've made a well defined path. Many have Joey's in their pouch. We have a thunder of feet and snuffling noises outside at the moment. Pam put some chopped apple out for the Possums and they've obviously found it.
Quite strange that the first bird we hear in the morning - and the last at night - is a Blackbird. We also see Goldfinches, Starlings and House Sparrows daily. The climate is UK like, not above 19C to-day.