Birding in the heart of Melbourne
2 Comments »22nd December, 2007; Category: Trip reports
Melbourne CBD
2007 Victorian birding trip report #12
On the Sunday we drove into Melbourne CBD. We attended a photographic exhibition which was very interesting. It featured the photographs of one of our more prominent politicians, Senator Bob Brown. Most of the photos had an environmental theme which is not surprising because he is a member of the Greens Party here in Australia.
After lunch we went wandering around the Queen Victoria Markets, an eclectic collection of stalls selling everything from vegetables to paintings to handbags to a wild collection of tourist knick-knacks. I wasn’t going to buy anything but I found some lovely fridge magnets featuring Australian birds. At five for ten dollars I just couldn’t leave them there. They will join my growing collection on my filing cabinet at home.
I wasn’t taking all that much notice of the birds in the city centre. I did notice plenty of House Sparrows, Rock Doves, a few Common Mynas and the occasional Australian Raven. Mind you – I didn’t go in to the city to watch birds – they were a bonus. Oh, I forgot the Silver Gulls. The port facilities are not all that far from the markets, and I guess they are attracted to the junk food left lying around.
Silver Gull
On the way in I had good views of three Wedge-tailed Eagles hanging on the breeze near the Melbourne International Airport. A small population has lived in that area for many years. The most common bird on the road to the city was the introduced pest species, the Common Myna. Which reminds me; I still do not have any photos of this species. I don’t think I’ll bother.
Birding on Mt Macedon, Victoria
No Comments »21st December, 2007; Category: Trip reports
View from Mt Macedon, Victoria
2007 Victorian trip report #11
While staying with our friends in Gisborne north of Melbourne we went on several drives. On the Saturday we drove up to the top of Mount Macedon just to the north. We went to the top of the mountain and had a brief look at the surrounding view. Even though it was a bright sunny day the surrounding area was very hazy and Melbourne itself was hardly visible.
Mt Macedon Victoria
We stopped at the café for a pot of tea (I had a hot chocolate) and enjoyed the lovely sunshine coming in through the window. I saw a few birds off in the distance as but only identified a single Pied Currawong. I think I heard several Yellow-faced Honeyeaters in the trees and precious little else. This is the second time our friends have taken us to the top of Mt Macedon and on both occasions I have been very disappointed by the lack of birds. I guess the constant flow of people visiting may be scaring them away. I haven’t walked any of the local walking tracks; they might be more fruitful with bird numbers and varieties.
Mt Macedon War Memorial
A non birding drive
2007 Victorian trip report #10
When we travel I generally keep a keen eye out for the birds we can see as we travel along. When I am driving I have to be doubly attentive of course. When my wife is driving I can relax and take in the bird life and the scenery as we go. Unless I need to navigate.
Over recent days I have written about our visit to the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens south east of Melbourne, Victoria.
We were about 40 minutes later than planned setting off to our next destination. We were heading towards our friends’ home in Gisborne about an hour north of
I didn’t get much birding done on that leg of the trip, even though I was not driving. It was a combination of having to navigate, fading light, heavy rain and watching out for all the idiots on the road. Despite all the hazards of driving on unfamiliar roads we did arrive safely, though at one point my wife found out that the brakes worked very well. Three lanes of traffic travelling at 100kph in the dark on a wet road coming to a screeching halt does nothing for the nerves. But the brakes worked. And no idiot ran into the back of us.
Beautiful birds, leaping lizards and slithering snakes
Sign in the Cranbourne Botanic gardens Victoria
The sign above was one of several that greeted us as we drove into through the entrance to the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens south east of Melbourne. Fair enough – after all, this is the lizards’ home and we are the visitors. It distresses me when driving our country roads here in Australia when I see dead lizards on the road. It seems to happen far too often. Add to that the huge death toll that accounts for thousands of birds, kangaroos, wombats, echidnas and other animals and you have a sickening statistic.
Some of these deaths are unavoidable; some people would not even be aware that they ran over a lizard or hit a small bird, for example. What is far worse, of course, are those people with twisted minds and no care for our environment who deliberately kill our wildlife for the sheer thrill of it. Perhaps what we need is some nasty kangaroos with the talent to drive a vehicle in order to even up the score a little.
A little more disconcerting was the sign below. We did not see any snakes but it was good to have the warning. Some years ago I experienced a Tiger Snake (very poisonous) slither over my shoe. It is not an experience I am in a hurry to repeat. This is their home and I will always attempt to give them the freedom to enjoy their territory unhindered.
And the birds?
You will have to scroll back through the posts over the last few days to read about them, and to enjoy the photos of birds I posted.
Sign in the Cranbourne Botanic gardens Victoria
Wallabies, wildflowers and other wonders
Sign in the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens, Victoria
2007 Victorian trip report #8
During our walk in the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens in Victoria we came across a solitary Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor. It was being rather secretive and shy, and wouldn’t come out of the bushes and fully show us his beautiful markings. We had seen this species of wallaby before in this, and other, locations.
This medium sized wallaby is found along the entire east coast of Australia and in southern Victoria. It can also be found in the extreme south east corner of South Australia. It has a wide range of preferred habitats, including forest, woodland, scrub, heathland and even tropical rainforests in the more northern parts of its range.
Swamp Wallaby in Cranbourne Botanic Gardens, Victoria
Alternative names: Black Wallaby, Black-tailed Wallaby
An interesting fact I gleaned from one of my field guides to the mammals of Australia is that this species is more diurnal than most macropods, and that it tends to be solitary and shy. Yep – that’s what we found.
While trying to sneak up on this shy wallaby to get a better shot, I had to be very disciplined and ignore the birds flitting around, all trying to distract me.
The photo below was taken nearby.
Tall Greenhood orchid in the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens