Hi All,
I will be travelling through southwest Victoria next week on my way to a Port MacDonnell pelagic and was hoping that someone may have information as to where I might see Elegant Parrots or Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.
I have been through the archives and there is very few sightings mentioned although these two species can possibly be found in the area. Although I have seen both before in other states, I have not seen them in Vic.
Information on any particular sites worth stopping for would be appreciated. I don’t know the area all that well with regards to birdwatching sites.
Danger Point and the Gannet colony as well as Cape Nelson Lighthouse area are two places that I have heard are worth visiting.
Thanks for any information. I will post a report on my return.
Happy birding
Marlene.
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Hi Marlene,
Red-tailed Black-cockatoos:
First let me tell you that this information is from last year, and I haven’t been in the area for a while. Ruth and I found Red-tailed Black-cockatoos to the west of Casterton on the Casterton-Penola Road. Drive west along this road from Casterton and look for the birds about half an hour or so before sunset at the area where the forest opens up into paddocks. At one point we had 25 of the birds in view. I know that Rob Drummond was photographing them in this area last year, and was seeing much larger flocks than that. The birds roost in the trees in this area, and also drink from the troughs on the sides of the road. We had a particularly unique view where we had Emu, Brolga and Red-tailed Black-cockatoo all in view simultaneously!
The other reasonably reliable area for Red-tailed Black-cockatoo in Victoria is the Lower Glenelg National Park. This is accessible from Portland along the Portland-Nelson Road. Heading west from Portland, turn right onto the Winnap-Nelson Road and travel a few kilometres along this before turning left onto River Road. This is a wide dirt road that travels along the Glenelg River to the SA border. Stop off at the various campsites along the way (Battersbys, Forest Camp, Sapling Creek). Probably best around sunrise or sunset. You should have no trouble seeing Rufous Bristlebirds along the track and a good chance of Blue-winged Parrot also.
Elegant Parrot:
Not an easy bird in Victoria – unfortunately the range overlaps Blue-winged Parrot so you have to be very careful with your ID! The “usual” spot is the Nhill-Harrow Road. Drive this road checking the fences alongside. You will need to check every time you see neophemas to see if any are Elegants. Ruth and I found a pair of Elegant Parrots at Merrett’s Bushland Reserve which is off the Nhill-Harrow Road (to the west), a couple of kilometres south of the Little Desert Nature Lodge.
Elegant Parrots were also reported at Cape Nelson (near Portland), in the Big Desert Wilderness Area and also in Murray-Sunset National Park last year.
Other spots:
Cape Nelson is a wonderful spot. Great seabird watching from the lighthouse from Portland to the lighthouse, there are several little areas you can park in and walk.
The Lower Glenelg National Park is good. Be careful though, I noticed on the Parks Vic website that quite a number of the tracks are closed due to flood damage.
Killarney Beach between Warrnambool and Port Fairy is one of the reliable spots for Sanderling in Victoria. That being said, Ruth and I stopped there in December and found none there. Rufous Fieldwren is quite common in the heath near this beach.
Narrawong is a little township on the Princes Highway to the east of Portland with a river and a wetland that is worth a stop. Pull off onto the Caravan Park Road. Most of the wetland is on private property, but worth a scan with binoculars or a scope.
There are a few wetlands around Portland itself that would be worth a look too, including the Fawthrop Lagoon, accessible from the Henty Highway and from Tyers Street I think.
Have a good trip, and catch you on another pelagic sometime!
Paul Dodd Docklands, Victoria