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
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.shc.melb.catholic.edu.au/home/birding/index.html
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