One of our favorite walks at the Long Forest Nature Conservation Reserve starts at the Happy Valley car park on the Happy Valley track. A few hundred metres from the car park are a couple of dams, Speckled Warbler are supposed to be easy to find in between the car park and the dams ,although we have'nt seen one in this area. Birds in the Long Forest can be a bit sparse, especially in the Mallee areas, so our usual tactic is to walk quickly until we see or hear a flock of birds, usually thornbill, and then spend a while looking to see how many other species we can see, as the flocks are usually mixed species feeding together. On our walk along the track today we were lucky enough to flush a Boobook Owl which must have been roosting in a low bush near to the track.

On reaching the Gravelly Track we turn left, this section of the track provides great views out over the creek valley and is a great place to look out for raptors, the only raptor for today (other than the owl) was a Wedge-tailed Eagle.

A small track leads off from the end of Gravelly Track alongside the Coimadai Creek, exotic garden plants grow along this section of the creek which seem to a attract a variety of birds. Today we saw Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Red-browed Finch, White-eared Honeyeater, Scarlet Robin and Speckled Warbler (on the top of the slope beside the creek). On other occasions we have seen Shinning and Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo here. After checking out the creek we take the Old House track, we have most success at finding Speckled Warbler along this section of the track. Today we saw three different pairs here, all associating with Buff-Rumped Thornbill, but this might be exceptional as after all of the rain this year the heath is looking very healthy. We then turn left and take the Mallee track back to the road. From here we normally walk the last 200 metres off track through the bush back to the car park but you can also walk alongside the road.

Hahns Macaw - The smallest macaw, about the size of a Rainbow Lorikeet, is a recent addition to the zoo collectionOur visits to Melbourne Zoo have given us some enjoyable birding moments. There was the time we went to visit a baby mandrill and was alerted to a Boobook Owl roosting in the 'African Rainforest' canopy by a group of alarmed White-plumed Honeyeaters. And the time we went to visit the tigers and heard the melodious call of the Golden Whistler and found it just off the path in the 'Asian Rainforest'. On another occasion I was waiting outside a marquee in which Jane Goodall was due to give a talk and a flock of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo descended on the giant pine which resides in the Carousel Park. One summer an Olive-backed Oriole could be heard calling near the rail gate in the mornings, one of the keepers informed us that it was nesting in a Palm Tree nearby. Guinea Fowl acting as a sentry in the Giraffe exhibit

These are unusual sightings for the Melbourne Zoo, however there are also some interesting birds that can be found regularly. A feral species that can usually be found is the Tree Sparrow, they used to frequent the Zoo Bistro but now they can more often be found around the elephant paddock which is situated next to the main barn. A better view of the Tree Sparrows can probably be had from outside the zoo around the south west corner, on our morning walks we are currently seeing the sparrows perched on the wall and flying to the seeding grasses opposite the tram line.

Song Thrush can occasionally be found especially around the African and Asian rainforests. Also in the Asian rainforest is the 'Pelican Lake', the pelicans here belong to the collection but the Great Cormorants and colony of Nankeen Night-Herons are wild birds. In 1916 Dudley Le Souef wrote 'When the gardens were first formed, more than 50 years ago, Nankeen-night Herons used to camp during the day in the the Eucalyptus trees and they and there descendants have continued to do so ever since' and they still do today. During the summer months the adults nest somewhere on the zoo grounds, most often this is in the trees surrounding the great flight aviary.

Juvenile Nankeen Night-Heron

During Autumn and Spring other small birds such as Grey Fantail, Eastern Spinebill and Silvereye can also be seen, while on migration during change of seasons. Rainbow Lorikeets are always present and Musk Lorikeets and Little Lorikeets can often be seen during late Summer to Winter.

For a list of birds seen at the zoo check out the Bird List .

Eastern Koel in the Great Flight Aviary

Pectoral and Sharp-tailed SandpipersThis summer has been a great summer for shorebirds at the Western Treatment Plant, with low numbers of the more common species it has been easier to pick up on the unusual ones. Today's visit didn't disappoint with a distant view of the now regularly seen Stilt Sandpiper at the Western Lagoon Pond 4, a lone Double Banded Plover and mostly camouflaging behind some convenient placed rocks and grass were a couple of Pectoral Sandpiper mixing with some Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Unfortunately no sign of Ruff, Long-toed Stint or Grey-tailed Tattler which have recently been seen here. Also interesting was a Grey Plover standing out on the Spit.

As we were travelling around Paul photographed this Golden-headed Cisticola carrying a piece of spiders web on her head. We guessed the web was being carried off for nest material as Golden-headed Cisticola have the unusual skill of being able to stitch together their nest of grass and leaves with spiders web. Another name for this bird is the Tailorbird.

We made a half day trip to the Western Treatment Plant in Werribee today to see the Stilt Sandpiper, this bird has only been seen in Australia on a handful of occasions. We found the sandpiper at the T-section lagoons associating with a few Common Greenshank and Curlew Sandpiper. The Stilt Sandpiper looked very like the Curlew Sandpipers and similar in size however its bill was longer and legs were a yellowish colour unlike the black legs of the Curlew Sandpipers. After viewing the Stilt Sandpiper we took a drive down to Kirk Point, although it was high tide the rocks on the point were exposed and we were happy to find a couple of Pacific Golden Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, a Red Knot and a few different species of tern, including White-winged Black Tern and Common Tern. There was also two White-Bellied Sea Eagles perched at Lake Borrie.

Most parts of the Western Treatment Plant are accessible only with a permit, however the road to Kirk Point is open to the public so no permit is required to visit this area. The T-section lagoons can be visited with a day permit and key, which can be obtained by contacting Melbourne Water. Other areas of the plant require a special access permit which can only be acquired after attending an induction session.

Attachment: 

Western Treatment Bird Watching Map

Old map showing WTP place names (west)

Old map showing WTP place names (east)

Western Treatment Plant Bird Checklist

Galada Tamboore is a peaceful and beautiful little heard of area located behind industrial and housing estates in Campbelfield. Galada Tamboore is the Wurundjeri for 'creek waterhole'. The area was originally reserved by Melbourne Water as a retarding basing but it now forms part of the new Merri Creek Parklands. Situated 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.

Currently the area can be accessed from the end of Somerset Drive or Hatty Court. A bike path is being developed which connects with the existing Merri Creek bike path, it will also connect the Whittlesea Gardens on the other side of the Hume Freeway.

One of the best areas to look for birds is 'Yellow Box Gully' to get there enter through Hatty Crt. turn right onto the bike path and walk for a couple of hundred metres, the gully can be seen on the left. The best view into the gully is from the northern edge. Over the last few years surveying this area we have seen, Satin Flycatcher, Rufous Whistler, Golden Whistler, Brown-Headed Honeyeater and Brown Goshawk. Red-browed Finch, Superb Fairywren, Silvereye, Spotted Pardalote and Grey Fantail are usually found here.

In the grasslands along the top of the escarpment Australasian and Skylark are common, also occasionally seen or heard are Brown Quail. In spring, when the grass is overgrown, Golden Headed Cisticola call from the top of the long grass, Horsfields Bronze-cuckoos can also be heard in spring, in winter there are Flame Robins. Australian Reedwarbler call from the reed beds during spring and summer and the the occasional, duck, moorhen, cormorant or heron is seen along the creek. There is the possibility of snipe at the Barry Road wetlands.

Further north, a pathway leads down to the creek which can be crossed, by rock hopping, when the water levels are low.

Survey route for Galada Tamboore