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Trip report - Toorourrong, Victoriia

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Subject: Trip report - Toorourrong, Victoriia
From: <>
Date: Mon, 26 May 2003 18:15:41 +1000
Hi All, 

I've just spent a day at Toorourrong Reservoir Park (Victoria), which 
is nestled at the base of Mount Disappointment, about 4 kilometres past 
Whittlesea. I'd noticed there was no information on this spot in the 
birding-aus archives so I thought I'd write a short trip report. My 
main reason for visiting Toorourrong was that it was only 30 minutes 
away from where I live (Northcote) and I was desperate to see some real 
bush and birds.

Although the birds were thin on the ground (and in the air), there was 
some really good bush ? which when flowering would have great potential 
for birds. The vegetation was mainly dominated Red Stringybark, Long-
leaf Box and Broad-leaf and Narrow-leaf Peppermint, with some Yellow 
Box and Swamp Gum. There were also lots of mushrooms and toadstools 
(some over a foot wide), large tree ferns,lots of small Maiden Hair 
fern and the native carnivorous sundew (Drosera spatulata?). 
Toorourrong?s an old reservoir (it was first set up in 1885), so it 
also has an extensive 'botanical' garden.

Some of the birds seen included Bassian and Grey Thrush, Rose, Scarlet 
and Yellow Robin (usually in the same place), Golden Whistler, Crested 
Shriketit, Brown and Striated Thornbill, Red Wattlebird, White-throated 
Treecreeper, Crimson Rosella, Galah, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Long-
billed Corella, Kookaburra, Magpie, Grey Currawong, Little Raven and 
White-winged Chough. On and around the reservoir were Musk, Black and 
Mountain Duck, Little and Hoary-headed Grebe, Little Pied and Great 
Cormorant, Coot, Swamphen and Moorhen, White-faced Heron and a half a 
dozen Black-fronted Dotterel.

I also came across 3 wombats - which were surprisingly active during 
the day - a family of Eastern Grey kangaroo, and a fox. It also looked 
an excellent place for platypus. 

Finally, Toorourrong's in Melbourne?s water supply catchment area so 
(annoyingly) accesses to the main bush areas are restricted - and to 
get access I had to jump the fence. (Don?t tell anyone ? especially 
those people at Parks Victoria and NRE who read birding-aus!!). The 
best access points are just to the right of the front entrance, and at 
the very back of the main picnic ground. 

Tim Dolby


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