Central Victoria

Edithvale-Seaford wetlands are all that remains of the Carrum Carrum swamp that once stretched from Mordialloc to Frankston. The wetlands are a Ramsar wetland because they support a large population of the migratory Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and also birds of state significance such as the Australian Bittern.

The Edithvale Birdhide is located on Edithvale Road, Edithvale and is currently opened between 1-7 pm Saturday and Sunday and also between 6pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday this will continue until the wetlands dry out. The hide, which is two stories high, is manned by volunteers and contains all sorts of interesting displays and information including a range of nests and eggs. If the bird hide is closed you can also get a good look at the wetlands from a platform situated in the car park next to the hide.

On the day we visited the wetlands were covered in birds, on the water were many families of swans with their fluffy grey signets, also present were Chestnut Teal, Black-winged Stilt and Yellow-billed and Royal Spoonbills, a group of Australasian Shovelor flew in as we watched. Whiskered Terns were fishing over the wetland and on one occasion a Swamp Harrier flew in flushing many of the birds on the wetland. Of particular interest was the Australian Painted-Snipe near the bird hide, some Spotted Crakes were also visible from the hide and feeding on the mudflats. Superb Fairy-wren could be seen in the bushes bordering the car park.

For more information on the wetlands go to http://www.melbournewater.com.au/content/rivers_and_creeks/the_rivers_an...

If you feel like an urban adventure - but in the bush, you might like to visit the Galada Tamboore area, it’s a little known quiet and beautiful area located mostly behind an industrial and housing estate in Campbellfield. Cryptic KangarooSituated on a 93 hectare floodplain the Merri Creek meanders through it past sedimentary and basalt escarpments and gullies containing remnant river red gums. At the top of the escarpments are indigenous shrublands and grasslands. The area is regionally significant for its reptiles (particularly snakes!!), geology and aboriginal archeological sites. You can access the area via the end of Somerset Drive or Hatty Court, Campbellfield.

There are two beautiful areas next to the Merri Creek that can be accessed by the pathways. If you enter through the Hatty Court Reserve and take the path heading south about 350 meters, look to the left and you will find a beautiful little gully called Yellow Box Gully, named this for the trees growing in the gully beside the creek. This is one of the best spots in the area to see little birds on one visit we found Brown-headed Honeyeaters in the flowering Yellow Box, Spotted Pardalote, White-browed Scrubwren, Grey Fantail, Superb Fairywren, Brown Thornbills and Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo have also been seen in this area.

After you are finished here you can cross the creek and head north on the other side. Take the pathway heading through the grasslands, look out for European Skylark and Australasian Pipits. Galada TambooreContinue on passing the turnoff to the left. You will then come to another turnoff take the path to the right which will lead down to the creek. Here you will find the creek running under a rocky escarpment with tall Eucalypts growing beside the creek. You can rock hop across the creek to the grasslands on the other side where you may find Brown Quail or a mob of Eastern Grey Kangaroos. Look out for the Brown Falcon which likes to rest in the trees here or it may be hunting along the cliffs. You will probably see or hear Australian Reed Warblers and Golden Headed Cisticola.

When you are finished take one of the pathways back up the west bank both which lead to Hatty Court.

Woodlands Historic Park is 22 kms north of Melbourne just near the Melbourne Airport. This is a large park so it's a good idea to start from an entrance near to the area you would like to explore, there are a number of ways to access the park but my preferred entry points are either by the entrance to the Back Paddock near the Koori Cemetery, off Providence Road or by the Somerton Road picnic area.
Sunset in the Back Paddock

Our favorite area to go birding in the park is the Back Paddock. If you walk along the paths near to the northern fence of the Back Paddock, during winter, you can see at least three species of Robin, Scarlet, Red-capped and Flame Robins can all be spotted hopping around low in the trees and on the many fallen logs. Other interesting birds that can be seen in this area are Spotted and Striated Pardalote, Varied Sitella, Brown-headed Honeyeaters, Crested Shrike-tit, Yellow, Yellow-rumped, Striated and Brown Thornbills, Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush and Weebills. In Summer you can find Shining-bronze Cuckoo, Rufous Whistler and White-winger Triller. A pair of Whistling Kites can often be seen near to the South East fence of the Back Paddock. The area just east of the Greenvale Creek is fairly open and can be a good place to spot a raptor such as a Wedge Tailed Eagle or a Brown Goshawk. If you follow the northern fence of the Back paddock you will pass the old Greenvale Hospital, I find it quite eerie to see the abandoned hospital surrounded by the bush here.

Kangaroo coming to drink

At the Somerton Road Picnic ground you will find a pathway which follows the Moonee Ponds creek. Last time we visited there was still some water in the creek here and many bush birds were seen nearby such as Grey Fantail, Superb Fairywren and Red-browed Finch. Over 119 species of birds have been seen in the park and you may be lucky enough to see such gems as Western Gerygone, Masked Woodswallow or a Purple crowed Lorikeet. The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is being reintroduced at an enclosed site in the Back Paddock and there are always plenty of Eastern Grey Kangeroos present.

If you are hungry after a long walk around the park you might feel like a delicious wood fired pizza and a glass of wine which you can get at the nearby rustic outdoor restaurant of Wildwood Vineyards, in winter its heated by the wood fired oven and outdoor heaters so its good all year round. More about Wildwood Winery can be found here www.wildwoodvineyards.com.au

Jawbone Flora and Fauna reserve is situated in Williamstown about 8 kms from the city and can be reached by train (closest stations is Williamstown Beach) car (park in Crofton Ave in the east or Maddox Road in the west) or by bike along the Bay Trail. The reserve consists of freshwater lakes, mangroves, saltmarsh and Kororoit Creek to the west.

At the east end is a boardwalk which leads out toward the beach through saltmarsh and mangroves, although you can't access the beach it's a nice place to have a look around.

As you walk west along the Bay Trail you come to a pathway, take this path to a large enclosed bird hide which looks out onto a Ibis rookery on one of the lakes. The mudflats across from the hide can be a good place to see crakes. A small party of Black-tailed Native-hens have been seen near to the hide, also keep an eye on the bushes around the hide for small birds such as New Holland Honeyeaters and Superb Fairywren.
Jawbone

Walking further west along the trail along many water birds are present on the lake including Blue-billed Ducks, Musk Ducks, Great Crested Grebe, Cormorants, Egrets, Royal Spoonbill also Australian Reed-Warbler and Little Grassbird can be seen or heard.

At the western end you come to Maddox Road this is often a good area to see raptors flying overhead such as Swamp Harrier and Brown Falcon. Walk down to the end of Maddox Road, looking out for Yellow-rumped Thornbill as you go, where you will find another bird hide. There is a chance of seeing some interesting birds from or near the hide, especially if it is low tide. On the occasions we have visited some of the birds we have seen are Eastern Curlew on the sandbar, an Arctic Jaeger flying overhead, Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers, Whiskered Tern, and Marsh Sandpiper. In the bushes nearby we have seen Yellow Thornbill and White Fronted Chat.

At the end of Maddox Road you can get back onto the trail and walk along the Kororoit Creek. The creek is lined by mangroves where you could see cryptic Sharp-tailed Sandpipers roosting in the mangroves, or Red-necked Avocet or Common Greenshank feeding along the creek. If you continue on from here you will reach the Altona Coastal Park.