Birchs Inlet

Birchs Inlet
Birch's Inlet; Birches Inlet
A small, long-tailed, green bird with a blue forehead and an orange belly perches on a branch
The area is important for orange-bellied parrots.
A map of Tasmania with a mark indicating Birchs Inlet
A map of Tasmania with a mark indicating Birchs Inlet
Birchs Inlet
Location on the western coast of Tasmania
False colour Landsat image of Macquarie Harbour, facing north-west, showing Birchs Inlet extending to the lower left and the Gordon River at the bottom.
LocationWest Coast Tasmania
Coordinates42°30′46″S 145°28′12″E / 42.51278°S 145.47000°E / -42.51278; 145.47000
EtymologyThomas William Birch[1]
Primary inflowsMacquarie Harbour
River sources
  • Birchs River
  • Pocacker River
  • Sorell River
Ocean/sea sourcesSouthern Ocean
Basin countriesAustralia
Max. length15 kilometres (9.3 mi)

The Birchs Inlet, also spelt Birch's Inlet or Birches Inlet, is a narrow cove or coastal inlet on the south-western side of Macquarie Harbour on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. The inlet is located within the Southwest National Park, part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Features and location

The inlet lies approximately 38 kilometres (24 mi) south of the town of Strahan and serves as the mouth of the Birchs, Pocacker and Sorell Rivers, three of several draining south-western Tasmania. About 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) in length, the mouth of the inlet lies near the head of Macquarie Harbour not far from the mouth of the Gordon River. It is only accessible by water transport. It has been at times an important access point for loggers working in the area for moving Huon Pine to Strahan.

It lies at the northern end of the Melaleuca to Birchs Inlet Important Bird Area.[2] It is one of only two (the other being at Melaleuca) study sites for orange-bellied parrots in their breeding range.[3][4]

Etymology

It is named after Thomas William Birch (1774-1821), a surgeon, whaler, merchant and shipowner who settled in Tasmania in 1808.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Stancombe, G. H. (14 August 2011). "Birch, Thomas William (1774–1821)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.
  2. ^ "IBA: Melaleuca to Birchs Inlet". Birdata. Birds Australia. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
  3. ^ Holdsworth, Mark Christopher (2006). Reproductive success and demography of the Orange‐bellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster (PDF). Master of Science thesis. Hobart: University of Tasmania.
  4. ^ Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Team (1998). Orange‐bellied Parrot Recovery Plan 1998-2002 (PDF). Hobart: Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, Tasmania.


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