Melbourne Birding Contacts

[Adam C]

Hi all. We have 9 days in Melbourne over New Year and just wondering if anyone on here knows anyone...over there...that I could email re shorebird hotspots other than the Western Waste Treatment Plant as that ones a given!
It's also a dedicated trip to that area with a pass and key needed and I'm 99% sure I can make it happen but we are staying down in Inverloch so other closer spots around Port Philip Island etc would be good as back ups.

I'm happy to potter around myself and nose in and out of areas and there is a ton of great info on ebird but if somebody has a contact over there that knows the shorebird areas well I'd really appreciate any contact details.

Thanks

[imogen]

Hi Adam

I've just come back from 2 weeks in the area and can recommend the following (you can check out my ebird listings for full details):

For shorebirds, I found the Western side to be the best. Even if you don't get keys to the treatment plant, you can wander around to Kirks Point to see waders. Anglesea coast was also great, I picked up hooded plovers there.

On the Eastern side, I went to Cannons Creek but didn't see much. For other great birding, I recommend:

Birdsland Reserve, Belgrave Heights - Great opportunities for all sorts of bush and water birds. Lovely park, just get there before all the walkers are there.

Botanic Gardens, Cranborne - The Australia Garden is cultivated beyond reason but there are still lots of birds around (get there early). The rest of the gardens are pretty much wild and a fantastic walk with heaps of species.

Yellingbo Reserve - Your best best for the helmeted honeyeater but access is difficult. Best ring Parks Victoria for details.

If you are interested in going a bit further afield, I stayed at the most incredible place a couple of hours north of Melbourne. It is a mile square of regenerating bush stuffed full of birds from black honeyeaters, Gilbert's whistlers and owlet nightjars. PM me for more details if you want them.

cheers
Imogen

[BruceW]

Hi Adam,

By far the best shore birding spots close to Inverloch are:
a) Stockyard Point - just north of Phillip Island - get there two hours before high tide
b) Reef Island Nature Conservation Reserve - south of Stockyard Point but need to check on tides - access to island is only at low tide
c) Shallow Inlet Marine and Coastal Park - not often visited but can have some good waders plus some other excellent bush birds

Inverloch itself has some good birding - try Screw Creek to Townsend Bluff in Inverloch.

If you want to see nearly all the birds you can get at Werribee, try the Dandenong Valley Wetlands, plus Jells Park and Shepherds Bush (my backyard) which are top spots for the area east of Melbourne.

All these sites are on eBird

Regards,
Bruce Wedderburn

[Adam C]

Wow thanks Imogen & Bruce!
Great info!

Bruce Stockyard Point was where my spidey senses were homing in on re Ebird etc so great to have further recommendation. And thanks for all the other tips.

Means a lot!

[Michael Szabo]

If you join the 'Victoria Birders' Facebook group you can ask thousands of birders in the group where to see your target birds and you will get answers telling you exactly where to look: https://www.facebook.com/groups/631709646869379/

[Adam C]

Michael after 10 minutes of constant scroll downs on that page....I may have to move to Melbourne permanently!!

[Michael Szabo]

Yes, it's a great place to go birding. Highlights for me were Sooty Owl and White-throated Nightjar at Bunyip State Park, Pilotbird and Pink Robin at Toolangi State Forest, all the waders and raptors at Werribee, Hooded Plover and Pacific Gull at Anglesea, and Forest Raven, Blue-winged Parrot, Southern Emu-wren, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Black-faced Cormorant and Rufous Bristlebird at Pt Addis.

[Alan Rollason]

Hi Adam
Last year I visited Melbourne and joined a Meet up Group of birders who were very helpful and gave me lifts to their meeting place and I can highly recommend them. They took me out west, somewhere I would not have thought of going!

Graham Harkom (Organizer)
https://www.meetup.com/Melbourne-Bird-P ... ers/files/
email- melbourne-bird-photographers-announce@meetup.com

Hope that email works, have contacted Graham for his email address if this one doesn't work.

Good luck
Alan

[Adam C]

Thanks again all! Really appreciated

[pipingplover27]

Hi Adam,

By far the best shore birding spots close to Inverloch are:
a) Stockyard Point - just north of Phillip Island - get there two hours before high tide
b) Reef Island Nature Conservation Reserve - south of Stockyard Point but need to check on tides - access to island is only at low tide
c) Shallow Inlet Marine and Coastal Park - not often visited but can have some good waders plus some other excellent bush birds

Inverloch itself has some good birding - try Screw Creek to Townsend Bluff in Inverloch.

If you want to see nearly all the birds you can get at Werribee, try the Dandenong Valley Wetlands, plus Jells Park and Shepherds Bush (my backyard) which are top spots for the area east of Melbourne.

All these sites are on eBird

Regards,
Bruce Wedderburn

Hi Bruce,

I don't mean to steal this thread, but I am a New York birder visiting Melbourne and NZ this coming New Year as well. I was intending on visiting Shepherd's Bush and the surrounding areas and have a couple of quick questions. I just joined the forum so can't PM until I have posted a few times, so just adding a post here and hopefully that will do the trick.

Best,
Brendan