Hi Frank
There is great birding in the Anglesea Heath - just drive up into the
heathland behind the town. Melways maps give a rough indication of
where you can go. Lawrie Conole has specific sites for Beautiful
Firetail and Chestnut Rumped Heathwren but I haven't been able to
find them here. Make sure you check weather and fire conditions
before you start out - it is going to be extremely hot and probably
dangerous for fires - a total fire ban is almost assured for Thurs &
Fri.
For your target species:
Olive Whistler
Might get it in the heath, but more likely in the area behind Lorne.
Go along Allenvale Rd, through Allenvale and on a few Km to the first
obvious Picnic Ground (Sheoak I think - forget the name, sorry). You
should get good birds around here, such as Pink Robin, Olive
Whistler, Satin Bowerbird, Rufous Bristlebird in heathy areas, and
possibly Powerful Owl.
Striated Fieldwren (I am lining up a visit to Weribee so am
guessing I may see this here?)
Possibly, but the best place is at Kirk Point - drive to the end of
Beach Road and go into the last gate on the right, just before the
boatramp. Follow the track until you get to a channel marker. I've
seen calamanthus around here - also look for Golden Plover and
possibly Greys, as well as Turnstone and Sanderling. Note that you
need a permit to be in this area, although gates are not locked
usually. Please don't go further around the beach form there as it's
a protected area and off-limits.
Hooded Dotterel
Bancoora Beach is the easiest - drive into Breamlea, and just before
the houses start there is a turnoff to the surf club and carpark (on
the left). Walk straight onto the beach from the clubhouse area and
look left and right! I've most often seen them to the right, near
the rocky point - should also be Sooty Oystercatcher and Caspian Tern.
Cape Barren Goose
There are 23 or more at the wetland on Paradise Rd, opposite Lake
Borrie (in WTP, permit required). If you don't have a permit, drive
along Pt Wilson Rd past the Avalon airport road, and after a couple
of sweeping curves, there is a gate on your right. You can only
enter here with a permit, but you can see Cape Barren Geese from the
gate at the moment - usually behind the big lagoon on your right.
Rufous Bristlebird
Loch Ard Gorge is the famous spot, but closer to Anglesea you should
find them almost anywhere in the heathland on the coast. The tracks
around the lighthouse at Airey's Inlet are usually good, or the
carpark at Point Addis, just west of Bell's Beach. The woodland
between Bell's and Pt Addis is a favourite spot - Ironbark Basin -
and holds a good variety of bush birds. There is a pair of Powerful
Owls in here but good luck finding them! A little easier are the
Sitellas that are usually not far from the carpark at the Ocean Road
end.
Song Thrush (either Anglesea area or somewhere close to inner city
Melbourne)
Not so easy to find around Geelong any more. We had one on our
balcony here at Ocean Grove on New Year's Day, and that's the only
one I've seen at Ocean Grove in 4 years. Best places in Geelong are
in the older parts of town with big gardens, such as West Geelong and
Newtown. You might have more luck in Melbourne. Look out for Tree
Sparrow in the same places.
Good luck
Russell Woodford
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