DAREBIN PARKLANDS

Every time I drive up Grange Road in Alphington, I see a sign to Darebin Parklands and think 'I must go there one day.'  Today I did.  I walked via Willsmere Billabong.  And what a pleasant walk it was.

There were no small birds (always a disappointment) but there were Australasian Grebes in gorgeous breeding plumage, Chestnut Teal, many Maned Duck, a few Red-rumped Parrots (which seem to be getting rarer) and lots and lots of Grey Butcherbirds.  Perhaps the large number of butcherbirds explains the lack of small birds.  But perhaps not.  I put it down to Noisy Miners which are taking over and displacing all passerines smaller than themselves.

All the usual suspects were present.  There were both Red and Little Wattlebirds, Welcome Swallows, a few Musk Lorikeets, several Pacific Black Duck and a single Crested Pigeon.  

My most interesting sighting was on the way:  I saw a Little Raven consuming nectar from a Silky Oak.  The Silky Oaks around here are having a very good year, flowering prolifically.  I know that Little Ravens are omnivorous, but I could find no record of them eating nectar.  The late great Graham Pizzey told me that when you see Little Ravens at road kill, they are eating the flies attracted to the carrion, not the carrion itself.  Graham told me that Little Ravens only eat live prey and that may well have been true at the time.  But I believe they are now opportunistic.  I have seen them enjoying people's discarded pizza.  The National Photographic Index states they are 'mainly insectivorous.'  HANZAB says the Little Raven is 'omnivorous but considered specialist insectivore.'   And now we can add nectar to the long list of foods they will eat.

Darebin Parklands