HERITAGE

Yesterday my friend Ken took me to Heritage.  This is an area of bushland adjacent to the Heritage Golf and Country Club in Chirnside Park.  It is also adjacent to the Yarra River, and is popular with fisherfolk and canoeists.  The sun was shining.  The birds were singing.  It was a glorious morning.  The grass was long and Ken had seen a very large red-bellied black snake here the day before, so we trod carefully.

We recorded 46 species.  That is to say, Ken saw or heard 46 species, and managed to show me most of them, although I was too slow or too deaf to get on to the call of the Pallid Cuckoo or (worse!) the Lewin's Rail.  In my defence I should say that I was first to see the flock of over 100 Straw-necked Ibis flying overhead (quite a feat that! you could hardly miss them!)  and it was little me who first noticed the Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo sitting up high quite visibly and calling incessantly.  Admittedly, I did not immediately identify it correctly, but I did see it first. 

I also saw a New Holland Honeyeater, which Ken said were not common at Heritage.  We did see some great birds, but there were very few honeyeaters.  In fact, my list includes just four:  Red Wattlebird, Noisy Miner, Yellow-faced and the aforementioned New Holland.

The best birds were two kingfishers:  Sacred and Azure, and two cuckoos:  Fan-tailed and the Horsfield's Bronze that I've already mentioned.  We had an opportunity to admire both male and female Rufous Whistlers (my first for 2021!) and had an excellent, if fleeting, view of an Australian Reed Warbler.

Of course, we saw all the bushbirds you'd expect:  Eastern Yellow Robin, Red-browed Finch, and Grey Shrikethrush.  Superb Fairywrens and White-browed Scrubwrens played in the undergrowth and ubiquitous Brown Thornbills and Grey Fantails seemed to accompany us wherever we went.  One sole pelican soared overhead, while colourful Australian King Parrots, Galahs and Crimson Rosellas flew by.  Of course we couldn't escape noisy Rainbow Lorikeets, or corellas or white cockies.  Add some waterbirds (ducks, cormorants, coots and moorhen) and that's about it.  Apart from the Mistletoebird that sharp-eyed Ken saw and the Shining Bronze Cuckoo that he heard.

But I should not overlook my favourite bird:  the Willie Wagtail.  One came to say hello, then flew off over the golf course.  Ken said that they too were not common at Heritage.  Altogether a good spot for birding.  Thanks, Ken.

SIX MONTHS IN KEW

 It is now six months since I returned to live in Kew - actually I now live in Kew East, a little closer to Hay's Paddock, Willsmere Billabong and Burke Road Billabong.  With the addition of a Silver Gull last week, my house list is now 24 species.  Perhaps the most remarkable bird on it is a Whistling Kite, that visited my back yard one afternoon this month.  Another contender might be the pair of Maned Duck that sat on a neighbour's chimney for about twenty minutes one morning in September.

I walk every day - either north, south, east or west.  The north walk is the best as that incorporates Hay's Paddock.  Needless to say, the birds are not as numerous as they once were.  It is hard to believe that Regent Honeyeaters were seen in Hay's Paddock in my life time.  There are no honeyeaters there today, apart from the ubiquitous Red Wattlebirds and Noisy Miners.  I reckon I had New Hollands there in the 90's, but that's just my (often faulty) memory - I have not checked my records.  My walk list now numbers 41 species.

Perhaps most interesting in my bird sightings are the comings and goings and the differences between living in Kew and living in Kew East.  My new home is roughly 2 kilometres from where I used to live and I did not expect the birds to be any different.  But they are.  When I arrived in late April, I often saw Crimson Rosellas.  I haven't seen one here for months, and I look forward to their return.  Eastern Rosellas remain however, and I see them more often than I did at my former home in Kew.  In April, May and June I saw black cockies, but I haven't seen one since.  Welcome Swallows, which were here when I arrived, soon disappeared and re-appeared in September.  Musk Lorikeets were here in big numbers when I arrived.  When the eucalypts finished flowering profusely, the Musk Lorikeets disappeared.  I hope they come back.

Crested Pigeons are present, but not common here.  When I lived in Kew, Crested Pigeons arrived in the 1990's and I saw them every day.  I have not seen an Eastern Spinebill since I've returned.  They were never common, but, with effort, could be seen.  Little Wattlebirds are more common here than in Kew; I could see them there, but I never had them at home.  Here they are in my yard every day.  I'm sorry to say that Common Starlings live up to their name here.  They were not common at my previous address.  Silvereyes are not present here.  They used to be common in Kew, but were becoming rarer when I left.

This beautiful photo of a Spotted Pardalote was taken by my mate Ken Haines.  I missed them when I moved here, and first heard them in August.  With effort, I've seen them a few times, but they are rare.  When I used to live in Kew, I saw them often.

Surprisingly, neither corellas nor white cockies are as common here as they used to be in Kew.  Even more surprisingly, Galahs are much more common here.  I regularly see ducks, swamphens and moorhens on my north walk and irregularly Australian White Ibis and sometimes Eurasian Coots.

I found a Tawny Frogmouth in a street tree in September and he was present when I checked again in October.  I was surprised and delighted to see a Great Cormorant flying overhead in June, but I've seen them a few times since.  It was not as rare a sighting as I thought at the time.

If I want to add House Sparrow to my list (why would I?) I walk to the Kew Junction, where they like to hang around in the supermarket carpark.

The lack of small birds is the most disappointing thing.  No honeyeaters (apart from the aforementioned wattlebirds and Noisy Miners), no Silvereyes, no Willie Wagtails.  The only common small bird we have is the Brown Thornbill. If everyone would plant more dense undergrowth and we could have a concerted culling of Noisy Miners, and make sure cats were always indoors, some small birds might be able to return.

I can't pretend I don't miss the birds of North Warrandyte.  I particularly miss the fairywrens and the Grey Shrikethrush - now I must walk to Burke Road Billabong for these birds instead of enjoying them in my own yard. But at least I know they are there, within walking distance, and at home I have my own Brown Thornbills and Little Wattlebirds.  I am thankful for that.

BANYULE

There was just one forecast sunny day this week and I decided not to waste it.  I planned to go to Banyule:  site 16 in The 100 Best Birdwatching Sites in Australia.  I'm pleased to report that my drive there was uneventful - unlike my previous visit when a rogue bus stopped in the middle of the access road, halting traffic in both directions.

As I locked my car, I played my usual game with myself.  How many species will I see today?  How many will be new for my year list?  How many new for the month?  After recent disappointments at the Melbourne General Cemetery and at Karkarook, I decided not to be too ambitious.  I'd try for a list of 30 species.  I'd hope for 3 new birds for the year and 6 for the month.  In a normal year, to find 3 new birds in October in a local park would be ambitious.  But 2021 is not a normal year.  I've done so little birding and seen so few birds that I reckoned 3 new birds for the year was eminently doable. 

My first stop at Banyule is usually the Grotty Pond.  I pause along the way to look at the lake.  I have had good sightings here.  I scanned the verges for snipe.  No luck.  There were some Australasian Grebes on the water, but I couldn't remember if I'd seen them in January on my one and only trip to Werribee this year.  There were also Chestnut Teal, Pacific Black Duck and coot.  I was delighted to see Red-rumped Parrots.  These birds seem to be getting rarer around this area.  Then I spied Eastern Cattle Egrets, two of them, sitting on posts in the water.  I certainly hadn't seen them before this year.  My first annual tick.

I hurried on to the Grotty Pond wondering what delights it had in store for me.  Would there be rail?  Would there be crakes?  Not crakes, but croaks drew my attention skywards and I looked up.  Three black cockies flew over, followed a minute later by three more.  Black cockies always raise my spirits, like a soaring eagle or a dainty fairywren.  They made me feel good.  However, there was nothing on the pond except a moorhen with one cute fluffy black chick, so I turned back to have a proper look at the lake.  I had recorded 21 species by the time I arrived.  My target of 30 was within reach.

I was missing New Holland Honeyeaters.  These were Roger's favourite bird and I'm always pleased to add them to my list, but I haven't seen one in quite a while.  They used to be common at Banyule, but not today.

I left the lake and walked towards the river.  The first bird I heard, then saw, was an Australian King Parrot, sitting high in the canopy.  I don't remember seeing them here before.  Then I spied a Spotted Pardalote.  We do have them in the suburban streets around Kew, but they are not common and can often be difficult to see.  Today I had excellent views.  They really are gorgeous birds.  I heard a Grey Shrikethrush, but, look as I might, I could not see it.  The same thing happened with orioles, but I did get a good look at Silvereyes, one of my all-time favourites.  They, too, are not as common as they used to be.  I haven't seen one in Kew since I moved back here six months ago.

I met a young birder who told me there were Sacred Kingfishers about.  Together we heard Fan-tailed Cuckoos, but, alas! I could not find one.  I walked on to where the Plenty River joins the Yarra.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing and Huey was in his heaven.

I easily excelled my target of 30 species:  in fact I recorded 40.  And I saw 11 eleven new birds for October.  But I dipped on 3 new species for the year.  The Eastern Cattle Egret was the only one.  If I'd seen the kingfisher and the cuckoo, I'd have made it.  Must try harder!

KARKAROOK

As I drove along Warrigal Road, I listed the birds I wanted to see:  Blue-billed Duck, European Greenfinch and European Goldfinch.  I told myself not to be greedy.  Of course I'd love a snipe or a crake, but I wasn't going to push my luck.  I'd concentrate on my duck and my two introduced finches and anything else would be a bonus.

Heaven knows, birding has been difficult these last couple of years.  My monthly totals of species seen have never been so small.  Nowadays I get excited when I see a fairywren.  When the State Government increased the distance we were allowed to travel to ten kilometres from home, I got out my Melways and did a quick measurement.  I could make it to Karkarook!  So, on the first sunny weekday, I set off.

I drove slowly down Warrigal Road.  Last time I did this trip, I copped a speeding fine.  My first disappointment on arriving at Karkarook, was the large number of cars in the carpark.  It was ten past nine.  I'd hoped I'd beat the rush.  However, it is a large park.  Most visitors concentrate on the pavillions and the walk around the lake.  Few people visit the reedy lagoons where the crakes reside.  There's plenty of room for everyone, I told myself cheerfully.

Karkarook nearly made it into the top 100 birdwatching sites in Australia.  It is hovering in the wings:  if too many sites are forced off by future bushfires, I've always thought that Karkarook would slip in happily.  I've seen good birds here, most notably the Black-backed Bittern that turned up in August 2011.  There was another one (or the same one again?) in May 2014.  But I'm happy with Blue-billed Ducks.  It's always been nice to know that there's somewhere around Melbourne birders can see these lovely birds, officially classified as 'Near Threatened.'  In winter, birders visit Karkarook to add Flame Robin to their lists.  Then there's the water rats.  They run across the paths, quite oblivious to crowds.  

I set off happily on my quest for Blue-billed Duck.  Eastern Rosellas called from the gum trees and Silver Gulls swooped overhead.  I had eleven species on my list when I reached the little bridge where we'd seen the bittern some years ago.  Here I was distracted by a moorhen with two delightful fluffy chicks.

I wandered over the bridge and across to the lagoon where the Blue-billeds usually play. Nothing.  Not even a teal.  I glimpsed a Great Egret as I skirted the lagoon, hoping for a snipe or a crake or a rail.  Nothing.  Undaunted, I hurried on.  The greenfinch can usually be heard in the north-east corner of the park, where South Road and Warrigal Road meet.  Alas, all I could hear on this occasion was a Common Blackbird!

I walked on, thinking that if I couldn't get my three target species, some honeyeaters might be nice instead.  I heard an Australian Reed Warbler.  Why, oh, why did they change its name?  Clamorous Reed Warbler was so apt.  This one was calling from the dense reeds (of course) near the edge of the lake.  The path looked very muddy.  Did I want to get my feet wet?  Wimp that I am, I decided I did not really need to see the bird.  I knew what it was.  I wasn't influenced by the signs warning me of snakes.  Honest.

I walked around the lake, adding some cormorants to my list.  The only honeyeater I'd seen or heard was a Red Wattlebird.  I can't pretend I wasn't disappointed.  After an hour, I had a list of 26 species, which included the blackbird and the reed warbler that I'd heard but not seen.

I've never had such a small list at Karkarook on a sunny day.  There wasn't even a Willie Wagtail.  No Masked Lapwing, no Red-rumped Parrots, no fairywrens, no cisticolas.  Needless to say, no snipes or crakes.  The only ducks were Pacific Black and one, admittedly beautiful, Chestnut Teal.  Most disappointing.  No Blue-billed Ducks, no European Greenfinch and no European Goldfinch.

I came home thinking Karkarook would have trouble making it into the top 100 sites in future.  I hope this trip was an aberration, but what if it's not?  What if all these birds are becoming rare in our local parks?  

My recent trip to the Melbourne General Cemetery was very depressing.  I've birded there for many years and always used to have good sightings.  In 2002, when he did his Big Twitch, Sean Dooley, birded in the cemetery.  He wouldn't bother going there today.  The birds are simply no longer there.  Sure, you can see Rainbow Lorikeets and Noisy Miners and ubiquitous Red Wattlebirds, but forget about small honeyeaters, Willie Wagtails or fairywrens.  I used to rely on Yellow-rumped Thornbills and the cemetery, too, used to be a good site for greenfinch. Today I have to make do with Spotted Doves.  How I hope this is not happening throughout Melbourne!  How I hope that Melbourne General Cemetery and Karkarook Park are two odd examples - the only sites where our birds can no longer be seen reliably.  I fear I might be wrong about this.   Fingers crossed that my fears are not justified.