Cathedral Ranges (& Satin Bowerbird)
Hi All,
I?ve just spent a very pleasant couple of days in the Cathedral Ranges
State Park, approx 100 km north east of Melbourne (accessed via the
Maroondah Highway between Taggerty and Buxton). We camped at Cooks
Mill, and as is often the case, most of the birds were seen in and
around the campsite.
Considering it?s winter (the days were often idyllically sunny and the
nights freezing cold), the bird life was excellent, particular mid-
sized birds. In response to the current comments on birding-aus re
Satin Bowerbird, there were at least two territorial families linked to
the Cooks Mill camping area. There was also a pair of Wonga Pigeon, who
spent most of the time strolling comically around the edge of the
campsite; and perhaps surprisingly Lewin?s Honeyeater was the most
common HE. The Cathedral Ranges (and surrounds) would certainly
represent the western range for both these birds. There were also large
families of White-winged Chough, Pied Currawong, White-backed Magpie,
and a pair of what appeared to be very late nesting Laughing
Kookaburra.
Other birds seen here included Golden Whistler, Striated, Yellow and
Brown Thornbill, Striated and Spotted Pardalote, Varied Sittella, Black-
faced Cuckoo-shrike, Crimson Rosella, unusually tame White-throated
Treecreeper, Grey Thrush, Grey Fantail, Red Wattlebird, Eastern
Spinebill, a large mob of Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Red-browed
Firetail, White-browed Scrubwren, Superb Fairy-wren, and Superb
Lyrebird could be heard from all directions.
The campsite was also excellent for large sized mammal, with the list
included Grey Kangaroo, Black Wallaby, Wombat, both Ring-tailed and
Brush-tailed Possum, and both Koala and Greater Glider were spotlighted
on the Friend Nature Trail.
Beautiful Firetail was also seen on the roadside of South Cathedral
Lane, approx 1 kilometre north of the Maroondah Hwy, 50 Meters past the
entrance to the ?Cathedral Lavender Farm?, and may be a good eastern
site for this uncommon Victorian bird.
Tim
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