I am currently mapping walks in the extensive Winton Wetlands. Greens Hill is one of my favourites. See the full Victoria Walks walkingmaps version here: Greens Hill Walk
Greens Hill Walk, Winton Wetlands
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Tag Archives: Birdlife
Heron Loop Walk, Winton Wetlands
The most recent walk from my work for Winton Wetlands. For the full Victoria Walks version use this link: Heron Loop Walk
Woodland Walk, Winton Wetlands
The most recent walk I have mapped in Winton Wetlands. View the full version on Victoria Walks walkingmaps here: Woodland Walk
Mokoan Ponds Walk, Winton Wetlands
A new walk I have published on Victoria Walks walkingmaps. You can see the full version here: Mokoan Ponds Walk
Fooled
I saw a creature in long shaded grass
Apparently brown and moving fast
It turned and twisted while trying to pass
Through slender grain of yellow cast
I looked some time at its bobbing head
At its swinging tail strange pointed red
The smooth curved back came round again
Fluidly rodent it looked up at me then
To my surprise it turned out to be
Not a snake or rodent looking at me
But of avian descent with full head to see
A juvenile rosella stared knowingly
Who’d have thought such bright disguise
Could cloud the vision of observer eyes
On the ground coloured plumage denied
Flashy brilliance so vivid in the sky
Living on the Edge walk, Loch Ard Gorge
Here is a link to the latest walk I have published on VictoriaWalks walkingmaps https://walkingmaps.com.au/walk/5484
magpie
that magpie
has been
sitting on that bough
for half an hour
black and white
against the crying sky
it chortles and carols
from time to time
i watch and listen
biding my moment
despite the march of time
i look up and down
magpie looks left and right
we witness the crying sky
present and separate
each in place
some kind of joy
and the sky cries on
Kookaburra
Ever watch a kookaburra
Sweep in from on high
In a perfect arc
Geometry made art
Beak as an arrowhead
Body flat as an arrow
Piercing the air
Fletched tail as rudder
Precision steering
A dart to the bullseye
Wings not moving a millimetre
Purposeful focussed targeted
Missile like glide
Ever watch a kookaburra?
5 Good Things Only #03
Sitting on the verandah in the late afternoon after the day’s work is done. Relaxing, drinking tea, reading books, watching and listening to birds.
Budding deciduous trees sprinkled with emergent new leaves of every shade of green.
The assertive confidence of a pair of Grey Shrike Thrushes as they stand next to me while I remove a stump. Alert, heads cocked to one side, closely monitoring what the next spade full of soil will turn over.
Bees by the dozen on the tall lilac coloured columns of flower laden Rosemary branches.
The quiet and gentle breeze creating a shimmering in the Swamp Gum canopy along the creek as sunlight reflects off ever tousled, shiny grey green eucalyptus leaves.
Garden Range Pocket Flora & Fauna Reserve, Euroa
3km loop. Difficult terrain. Take food, water, first aid. Be SunSmart and equipped for self reliant hiking.
Opposite the gate to Waterhouse Reservoir is a small, outcrop seeking dirt track of a few hundred metres. There is plenty of room for parking at its beginning. Walking up is the best way to engage with the site. Despite the early stretch of track being partially littered with dumped rubbish and trees vandalised by illegal firewood cutters, walking is the best mode to discover the promise of this Reserve. Once you get to the rocky crown things change. The promise of natural world beauty and great views is kept.
Beyond the crown the track gives way to rocky open woodland. Follow the fence-line on your right to keep within the boundary of the Reserve. It will return you to the Euroa-Strathbogie Rd at the base of the hill. Take forays to the interior whenever you see something interesting to explore.
Once you get back to the road you have 3 options to return to your beginning point. 1. Return the way you came. 2. Clamber up the rocky slope on the eastern side of the road. 3. Walk up the road itself on the outside of the safety barrier.
Neglected Reserves can be subject to abuse. This little known Reserve is one of those. Infrequently visited by those with good intent, it has fallen victim to abuse by the unobserved. Rubbish dumpers, illegal tree fellers and firewood collectors, more recently those intent on damaging vegetation for dirt biking. On top of this, there is also a Prickly Pear infestation. What can be done?
One answer is to alert environmentally respectful observers and walkers to the natural world beauty of this place. Encourage visitation that promotes conservation, advocacy and discourages the minority who think these places exist only for them to covertly exploit and damage.
Falling birds
All those birds falling from the sky Some birds live More birds die So consider Why oh why? We poison food chains and nature deny We pave We divert We scrape the sky We take too much don’t comply heat the planet watch it dry Then only crocodile tears do we cry As our legacy becomes the worlds biggest lie That we care action says we deny
Goulburn Broken Cycling – Winton Wetlands
An enjoyable day of open space riding, described below is a 34km loop around Winton Wetlands. There are various options to explore for longer or shorter rides. If coming by train via Benalla, add approximately15km for the return ride to and from.
Bump & Grind Cycling Route Winton Wetlands Loop Start / Finish locations: Mokoan Hub & café car park 652 Lake Mokoan Rd, Chesney Vale VIC 3725 https://wintonwetlands.org.au Mode: ebike, hybrid, MTB, gravel Map: GPS -36.439730401400716, 146.06316433156667 Difficulty: Easy Distance: 34km. There is scope for various routes and extensions Elevation: 163 – 189m Topography: Flat Surfaces: Largely gravel, except the final sealed leg back to the car park along Lake Mokoan Road. Note: if the weather is or has been wet, minimise use of Nelson Road. It can be very slippery and muddy. It can be closed to vehicles. Description and Features: You can pick up an excellent cycling guide from the café. Composed of numerous ephemeral wetlands and grassy woodland, Winton Wetlands is a the largest wetland restoration project in the southern hemisphere. The site is interesting whether wet or dry. It was dry for this visit. It is home to many bird and animal species. When wet, a special attraction is that the site teems with water birds and raptors (see the last photo in the series for when wet from 2017). The interpretive displays along the various routes share insightful environmental, historic and cultural information. There are Art in the Landscape installations at a number of locations along the way. This is an outstanding place for photography. Riding conditions: The whole route is very exposed. It can be very cold and very hot. Check the weather beforehand. Options: Ride to and from the Wetlands via the Benalla – Mokoan Discovery Trail. Anticlockwise Cues: Take the dirt track east parallel with Lake Mokoan Rd to the old dam wall Left North Rd Left Flynns Rd Right SW Track (or follow Flynns all the way to Nelson Rd if wet) Left Nelson Rd Left Winton North Rd Left Boggy Bridge Rd Left Lake Mokoan Rd back to car park Amenities: Car parking Café (check opening hours Mob: 0497 939 507) Playground Seating Picnic tables Public toilets Waterways Walking tracks Wineries nearby Historic features Alternative routes Accommodation nearby Fishing (licence required) Camping (booking required) Trailhead, map & Interpretive signs Railway station at Benalla Flora and fauna habitat Cautions: Open water Soft shoulders Limbs may fall Embankments Uneven ground No potable water Remnant fencing Slippery surfaces Subject to flooding Road surfaces vary Snakes may be active Tracks may not be clear Beware of vehicle traffic Mobile reception may be unreliable Carry food, water, First Aid, be SunSmart Be equipped for self-reliant riding Restrictions: No dogs No firearms No hunting Take rubbish with you No firewood collection Do not remove soil or rock Historic relics are protected Native flora and fauna are protected Do not remove timber from standing trees No fires in the open. There is a communal fire pit at The Nesting Ground camp site, otherwise gas cooking is recommended. Closed for camping on days of total fire ban No 4WD or motor bike access Drivers/riders must: use formed roads only, be licensed, be registered
The Reed Warbler
That clamorous reed warbler
With the protracted breeding song
Passages of enamouring power
Designed to bring along
A partner for the season
With whom to court and spark
To share nesting in long reeds
At the edges of the lake
I do not know the words
Of this loud and spirited song
Launched from this small bird’s throat
Into the gathered avian throng
In the early morning,
at the end of each long day
Persistent and single minded
Seeking a mate to hold in sway
But the message is clear and proud
I am the one for you
Come to me my darling
Let’s see what two can do
Gang Gang
Image
Birdlife
Birds sit in the top of the trees
Planning attacks on insects and bees
They sit on their branches
Scanning insect sky dances
With shelter from leaves as their eaves
Birds on the end of a bough
Twitter loudly just to show how
They can talk to each other
Every sister and brother
In a way that says Hey, we know how!
Birds that forage on the ground
A set who are basically unsound
They defy law and order
Like lambs to the slaughter
Because predators are always around
Birds that drink from a dish
Do so in order to wish
For more handouts of bread
To keep them well fed
As their tails twitch and go swish
Birds that peck at a window
Are very much likely to forgo
Food on their plate
Appetite they may sate
Fighting themselves as a foe
Birds that fly in the sky
Look down and say my oh my
All the people down there
At whom we can stare
Choose to be grounded why oh why
Birds that float on the water
Think it’s the place where they oughta
Because the land is not safe
From trouble and strife
The water is a more secure quarter
Birds who love to eat worms
Queue to take it in turns
At freshly tossed compost
Of breaking down humus
Knowing a worm never learns
Superb Blue Wren
Yellow Faced Honeyeater
Gallery
a diet of nectar or insects provides for its high level of activity Continue reading
Birding in Iron Bark country
Joining Murray Goulburn Birdlife has been a treat. Sharing birdwatching with friendly experts in the field guides you to locations of wonder and delights the senses in the process. Visiting the Rushworth / Whroo iron bark country on a perfect autumn day after the big dry might not have secured as many species sightings as some of the more experienced would have liked. However, I just love being out there, exploring a new landscape, appreciating its special features and every bird is a bonus.
Iron bark country
Sharing lunch with the group
Scarlet robin
This obliging bird came back to the same branch next to me
Three times
A beautiful yellow tufted honey eater
I still haven’t achieved a great shot of the very sociable chough. This will have to do for now.
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