On Saturday July 19, Eynesbury Environment Group once again invited the community to join us for a guided bird walk along Toolern Creek.
Despite the cold the seven participants set off from the park created by local conservationist, the late Lyn Holdsworth, beside the Western Highway bridge that crosses Toolern Creek.
Perhaps Lyn Holdsworth Park may be an appropriate name for this beautiful little creekside park!
The creek is a beautiful waterway lined with magnificent old Red Gums with an understory planted by the Friends of Toolern Creek, Melton Council and Western Land Services.
Toolern Creek forms a corridor for birds and other wildlife through Melton, from Toolern Vale in the north to the Toolern Regional Park in the south, thence to the Werribee River.
We walked along the paved footpath that runs along the creek.
The weather was bitterly cold with an icy wind blowing.
Unsurprisingly, we saw few birds.
At one point the honeyeaters suddenly made a loud chorus that then suddenly fell silent.
Shortly afterward a large Brown Goshawk appeared, flying slowly through the tree canopies, [presumably] on the hunt for lunch.
This happened a few times, with the goshawk making its way back and forth among the trees, always accompanied by the alarm chorus.
We also saw [a] Nankeen Kestrel flying over the creek.
We still managed to see numerous Rainbow Lorikeets, Wood Ducks, Crested Pigeons, Turtledoves, White-plumed and New Holland Honeyeaters.
The Wood Ducks were investigating tree hollows – showing that spring is on the way! Several Wood Ducks also approached us at the children’s playground, possibly hoping to be fed.
When they realised no food handouts were forthcoming they soon wandered off.
They are obviously used to being fed here.
Unfortunately feeding ducks with bread, which is a common practice, is very bad for ducks, leaving them with major health problems.
It is better to feed them with natural foods, such as corn, peas or even domestic poultry and duck food.
Despite the icy weather and the relative scarcity of birds, the good company made up for this!
We saw 21 bird species, recorded on eBirdline:
Wood Duck
Black Duck
Brown Goshawk
Kestrel
Galah
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Eastern Rosella
Red-rumped Parrot
Rainbow Lorikeet
Spotted Dove
Crested Pigeon
Magpie
Little Raven
White-plumed Honeyeater
House Sparrow
New Holland Honeyeater
Indian Mynah
Blackbird
Starling
Magpie-lark
Details: ebird.org/checklist/S261357782
