Daryl Akers
On Saturday May 17, Eynesbury Environment Group hosted a bird walk in Melton Botanic Garden.
We host a bird walk on a monthly basis, each walk at a different venue, in and around Melton.
At first light it appeared doubtful if the walk would go ahead due to rain but 10 people took a chance on the rain not persisting. Participants came from Melton, Staughton Vale, Eynesbury and Bacchus Marsh. Fortunately, as we arrived at the Melton Botanic Garden carpark the rain began to ease. There was a group of handsome purple swamphens in the carpark to greet us! We were dressed for the weather in case the rain returned. Which it did. However, the rain held off for most of the walk.
We walked through the main part of the garden but baulked at continuing the walk around the lake, due to the increasingly threatening skies. Sadly, we received only 5mm rain, after 17 days without rain. But very welcome nonetheless!
Bird numbers were unsurprisingly low due to the drizzly wintry weather. We still saw 15 species and the tree canopies were loud with bird calls. At one stage there was a loud chorus of noisy miners, followed by a brown goshawk flying above the tree canopies. We saw a small flock of red-rumped parrots and three rainbow lorikeets but no rosellas or corellas.
We noticed several noisy battles between white-plumed honeyeaters and New Holland honeyeaters. Many years ago, New Holland honeyeaters were not found in Melton and the white-plumed honeyeaters were the dominant species. But over the years the more aggressive Holland honeyeaters have taken over Melton’s gardens.
One hundred and five bird species have been recorded here according to eBird: ebird.org/hotspot/L2551217
The garden is one of Melton’s best sites to see birds with its vast diversity of plants from various arid regions around the world. The sector of Ryans Creek between the garden and High Street was, just a few years ago, a concrete drain, virtually devoid of life. The sterile concrete floodway was removed, planted with local creekside vegetation and the creek restored. It is now a thriving bird habitat. Ryans Creek and the Melton Botanic Garden is a link in the migratory flyway along which migrating birds move and rest. Arnolds Creek has also similarly been restored.
Melton Botanic Garden is of international significance for the Lathams snipe. The snipe makes an epic migration between its breeding range in Japan and far-eastern Russia, and southern Australia. After breeding in north Asia they arrive in Melton in about September. The snipe leave Australia in late February using the East Asia Australasia Flyway to the Arctic Circle. The garden provides a valuable resting and feeding site on its long flight between southern Australia and north Asia.
Latham’s snipe is protected under the Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (JAMBA), China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (CAMBA) and the Republic of Korea-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement (ROKAMBA). The Latham’s snipe is also listed on Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species. These legally binding international agreements encourage relevant contracting parties to protect Latham’s snipe, their habitats and to remove barriers to migration. While in Australia, Latham’s snipe can be found at a number of Ramsar listed Wetlands of International Importance. www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/863-conservation-advice-05012024.pdf;
Birds seen were:
Purple swamphen
White-faced heron
Masked lapwing
White-plumed honeyeater
Noisy miner
New Holland honeyeater
Red wattlebird
Indian mynah
Starling
Blackbird
Brown goshawk
Crested pigeon
Magpie-lark
Magpie
Little raven
Willy wagtail
