Victoria

Thurra River from Drummer WalkThere are a couple of rainforest walks off the Princess Hwy in East Gippsland that can provide some interesting birding. The first is Drummer Rainforest Walk which can be accessed via Drummer Road. Drummer Road is situated 10 Km east of Cann River off the Princess Hwy. The walk is only about 1 km long and takes you through warm temperate rainforest passing the Thurra River at a couple of points. Interesting birds that may be seen on this walk are Rose Robin, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone and Black-faced Monarch (in summer).

Another short, warm temperate rainforest walk can be found on the McKenzie River, to find the walk turn off the Princess Hwy 300m east of the McKenzie River bridge. The day we visited this walk it was cold and wet and few birds could be seen however the walk through the forest was very beautiful in particular passing over the river on the swing bridges.

Another walk worth visiting is the Cabbage Tree Palms walk. This walk features the southern most stand of Cabbage Fan Palms. We took a quick walk though this area as there were swarms of mosquitoes, don't forget to bring your insect repellant if you don't want to be eaten alive here. Interesting birds frequently seen in the area are Brown Gerygone, Rose Robin, Topknot Pigeon (summer) and Black-faced Monarch (summer). Other interesting birds could include Olive Whistler, Azure Kingfisher and Pilot Bird.
Cabbage Tree Palms

Map of the Cabbage Tree Palms area

Drummer Rainforest Walk Park Notes

View from the garden at Adobe Mudbrick Flats

On our two trips to Mallacoota we stayed at the Adobe Mudbrick Flats. This is recommended as it not only has great views, beautiful ambiance, friendly owners but there are also great birds to be seen from the flats themselves and in the forest around Karbethong Avenue, which runs behind the flats.

Bird feeders hang in front of the flats just outside the window. Although I do not recommend feeding birds you can try just putting out a small amount of seed in the late afternoon. This will bring an array of birds straight to your front window Rainbow Lorikeet, Galah, King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, White-browed Scrubwren and Red-browed Finch will all be there. In the bushes just a short distance away are Satin Bowerbird, Superb Fairywren, New Holland Honeyeater, Little Wattlebird and Spotted Pardalote with Laughing Kookaburra and Crested Pigeon sitting on the telephone wires. Occasionally a Whistling Kite will fly over the lake and on our last trip a Grey Goshawk was also seen over the lake. In the distance Black Swan and Pelican can be seen on the lake. And that's just from the front of the flat.

On the driveway leading to the forest behind the flats Superb Lyrebird can be seen scratching around in the garden. In the trees along Karbethong Avenue are Lewins Honeyeater, Wonga Pigeon, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Fan-tailed and Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (summer), White-winged Triller (summer), Olive-backed Oriole (summer) and White-winged Chough amongst other birds. Head down the slope to the gully (check yourself for ticks after this) to see Eastern Whipbird, Rufous Fantail and Golden Whistler. Wood Duck, Chestnut Teal and Pacific Black Duck can be seen by the dozens on the dams at the back of the house.

More about Adobe Mudbrick Holiday Flats

Casuarinas near the southern fence

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. The bush is thicker here and the birdlife more prolific. Some of the areas outside of the Back Paddock are sparsely vegetated and can be hot and dry during summer. The area called the Back Paddock has been enclosed in a fox proof fence to protect the Eastern Barred Bandicoot which is being reintroduced here.

Kangaroo in the Back Paddock

If you walk along the paths near to the northern fence of the Back Paddock during winter Scarlet, Red-capped and Flame Robins can 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 Weebill. 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 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 and there are always plenty of Eastern Grey Kangaroos present.

If you are coming from the airport it is possible to enter the park on foot via Marker Road, however there is no gate to the back paddock here. To enter the Back Paddock, once you have entered the park, follow the south fence of the Back Paddock for about 1 kilometer until you reach the gate. It may be possible to see many small birds on the way to the gate such as Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Striated and Spotted Pardalote or Red-browed Finch. A Wedge-tailed Eagle and Brown Goshawk have also been seen here.

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 Vineyard , in winter its heated by the wood fired oven and outdoor heaters so its good all year round.

Map of Woodlands Historic Park