Where to Find Birds in Sunraysia

Index

1. Introduction2. Sunraysia Generally3. Towns & Settled Areas4. Riverine Areas5. Billabongs

Kings BillabongEtiwanda WetlandsMerbein CommonWalpolla IslandThegoa LagoonWentworth Sewerage Farm

6. Salt SwampsLakes Ranfurly & HawthornPaschendale Swamps and Little Cowra Road SwampsCardross Lakes

7. Mallee 8. Predominantly Belar 9. Saltbush, Bluebush and Lignum Plains10. Wheatlands11. Spring Migrants and Rare Visitors12. Parks13. More Remote Areas – Ellerslie

Mallanbool Nature ReserveWargan RoadBottle BendCulluleraineNeds Corner

14. Restricted Areas – Mallee Cliffs & Kelso BlockTarawi

15. Private Sanctuary – Scotia

Introduction

This book has been compiled as a predominantly pictorial guide. Some species of bird have plumage which varies according to the bird’s maturity and time of year. There are, also, several species which are very similar in appearance. For example, distinguishing between the collared sparrow hawk and the brown goshawk and the tree- and fairy- martins in the field can be quite difficult. Young Jackie winters, grey shrike thrush, robins, whistlers and woods wallows have grey plumage with lateral dark stripes and can easily be misidentified if seen in isolation from their parents. In many other cases, a fleeting sighting of a bird can give a mistaken impression of a bird’s appearance and, even, size.

There are a number of very high quality specialist bird guide books available and reference should be made to one of those publications if any confusion exists as to the identity of a bird.

The names of the birds in this book have been grouped in accordance with their most common habitat. Of course, most birds are seen, at one time or another, in more than one type of bush land or habitat. In particular, most mallee birds can be seen in belar country and, also, the box flats that border watercourses. Also, a water bird species can often be seen not only on the rivers but, also creeks, billabongs and salt swamps. In most cases, where a reference is made to a bird species in one section of the book and that section doesn’t show its photograph, reference is made to another section of the book which lists the bird and its photograph in its most common habitation.

Sunraysia Generally

Brown-headed Honeyeater Wedge-tailed Eagle Diamond Dove

Black Kite Brown Treecreeper Boobook Owl Little Corella

Mistletoebird Cockatiel Hooded Robin Little Eagle Dusky Woodswallow

Welcome Swallow Black-faced Black Falcon Tree Martin Brown FalconCuckoo-Shrike

Variegated Fairy-wren Pink Cockatoo Red-rumped Parrot Pied Butcherbird

White-winged Choughs Restless Flycatcher Australian Hobby

Nankeen Kestrels Red-capped Robin Bronzewing Pigeon

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Striated Pardalote Peregrine Falcon Grey Shrike-Thrush

Grey Currawong Tawny Frogmouths Owlet Nightjar Galahs

Yellow

Yellow-rumped Thornbill Singing Honeyeater White-fronted Honeyeater Peaceful Doves

Magpie-larks Grey Butcherbirds Collared Sparrowhawk Red-backed Kingfisher

YYy

Rufous Whistler Budgerigars Magpie-Larks Australian Raven

Willie Wagtails Little Raven Apostlebirds Grey Goshawk (White Morph)

Australian Magpie White-browed Babbler Emus Black-shouldered Kite

Towns and Settled Areas

Rainbow Lorikeet Red Wattlebird European Goldfinch

Fairy Martin Feral Pigeon Blackbird

Little FriarbirdThis bird can be seen, not only in parks and gardens, but in the adjoining riverine areas.

Riverine Areas

Places accessible to the Murray River include:

Apex Park –

Drive west along Seventh Street to Chaffey Ave and then turn right across the railway line. Then follow the river along to the caravan park.

The Buronga side of the River under Chaffey BridgeCross the bridge. On the NSW approach road you will see the first exit

to the left which gives access to the Edge Hotel on the right and the Buronga Caravan Park on the left. This latter road will take you back to the river.Bruces Bend through to Psyche Bend

This bend can be accessed by several routes. One way is to drive past the Etiwanda Ave Wetlands until you reach the river and then follow it along until you reach Bruces Bend. Another alternative is to drive east along Eleventh Street and then turn left at Irymple Ave. The river end of Irymple Ave stops at the entrance to Bruces Bend.

Merbein CommonThe simplest way to Merbein is to journey west along Eleventh Street.

At the entrance to Merbein (after driving up Pump Hill) you will notice a street to the right which accesses the old Mildara Wines complex. Immediately past the winery the road crosses a river flat. At that point, there is a track to the right which will take you to the Murray River.

Wentworth before the Hospital (the old Police Paddock)Wentworth is most directly accessed by driving through Merbein. At

the entrance to Wentworth there is a road to the left which goes to the hospital. Drive along this road. Before the hospital entrance there is a track to the left which takes you to the stopping off points for a walk to the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers (to the right) and a nature walk (to the left).

Wentworth between the Junction and Log BridgeAt the southern end of the main street of Wentworth (Darling Street)

turn right into Adelaide Street. Cadell Street is located two streets to the left of Adelaide Street. Travel along Cadell Street past the junction of the two rivers and past Lock 10. Once you have passed the last house on the left you will see the entrance to a river bend on the left. This area is a popular fishing and camping area and is well worth a look. If you don’t turn left into this area, keep driving until you see a small bridge. This is the western end of Thegoa Lagoon. Immediately before this bridge you will see a track to the western end of the river bend on the left and a number of dry weather tracks around Thegoa Lagoon to the right.

Of course, the lawns at the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers can be a home for birds. There are the resident Purple Swamphens and Yellow Rosellas in the gums. Blue-faced Honeyeaters and Mallee Ringneck Parrots often frequent the area.

Red Cliffs – Turn left from the highway (if travelling south) at Indi Ave and follow it out through the township and, finally, to the red cliffs on the Murray River which gave the town its name.

South of Red Cliffs – turn left at the large sign that says “Karadoc/Nangiloc/Colignan” and follow Kulkyne Way to Iraak, Nangiloc or Colignan.

At Iraak, immediately after passing Belar Road on the left, there is a salt swamp. This can sometimes have water birds and waders.

Shortly after the swamp there is Rudds Road on the left. This can take you through to the river and, from there, a track to Johnson’s Bend, a popular camping area for the locals. Sometimes the lignum flats on either side of Rudds Road can contain water. The area, then, becomes transformed into a water bird breeding area.

There are several other popular picnic spots on the river as you continue southwards on Kulkyne Way. Two such river bends are Spence’s Bend at Nangiloc and Watts Bend at Colignan.

All along Kulkyne Way, keep an eye out for Regent Parrots.

Dusky Moorhen Darter Caspian Tern (imm.)

Eurasian Coot Crested Shrike-Tit Masked Lapwing

Pelican White-necked Heron White Ibis

Yellow-billed Spoonbills Grey Teal Great Cormorant

Regent Parrot Purple Swamphen Little Black Cormorant

Little Pied Cormorant Kookaburra Great Egret

Pacific Black Duck Sacred Kingfisher Noisy Miner

Whiskered Tern Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Silvereye

Silver Gulls Wood Duck – male Wood Duck – Whistling Kite Female with ducklings

White-plumed Honeyeaters White-faced Heron White-bellied Sea-Eagle

Crimson Rosella (Yellow) Pied Cormorant Superb Blue Fairy-Wren

Clamorous Red-Warbler Blue-faced Honeyeaters at nest

Billabongs

Kings BillabongSee instructions on how to access Bruces Bend in Riverine Areas (above). The

northern end of Kings Billabong isn’t far along the river track from the Bruces Bend entrance. The billabong’s southern end finishes at the Psyche Bend pump site.

Etiwanda Avenue WetlandsEtiwanda Ave runs parallel to Deakin Ave on the Melbourne (south east) side. Travel

towards the Murray River along Etiwanda and over Seventh Street. The Wetlands are situated on the right hand side of the avenue extension.

South Mildura WetlandsThese extend from Walnut Avenue through to Ontario Avenue between Fifteenth and

Sixteenth Streets.

Merbein CommonSee Riverine Areas

Walpolla IslandThis borders the old Renmark Mail Route along the Victorian side of the Murray

River. Travel out Calder Highway through South Merbein and then turn right into Meridian Road. Some ten minutes later you will see a signpost to Yelta Road on the right. However turn left at this intersection and follow the unsealed road out past the Wentworth Lock & Weir through three livestock grids. The “island” is really a large horseshoe lagoon off the Murray River and is situated to the right of the Renmark Mail Route.

Thegoa LagoonWentworth Sewerage Farm

Both these area can be reached by driving through Wentworth, past the junction of the two rivers and past Lock 10. The Sewerage Farm is situated on Lagoon Road to the right of the track. Thegoa Lagoon can be accessed by continuing along Lagoon Road and turning either right or left at its end. Alternatively, after passing the Lock, continue on to a very small bridge (Log Bridge). Immediately prior to the bridge there are several bush tracks to the right. These will take you around the edge of the lagoon.

There are two bird hides along this track.For much of the time the lagoon is dry but environmental flows are now intermittently

diverted through it.Spotted and Baillon’s Crakes are sometimes seen amongst the reeds surrounding the

sewerage pond. Birds seen on the lagoon can vary with the seasons and the amount of water in the lagoon. When the lagoon is in the process of drying, numerous Whistling Kites, Black Kites and Ravens can be seen feeding on the dying fish. White-bellied Sea Eagles were seen feeding there several years’ ago.

Mildura Sewage FarmPermission has to be obtained from Lower Murray Water to enter the area but it can

often be worth the trouble. The water often attracts large numbers of ducks (sometimes

Freckled, Blue-billed and Musk Ducks can be seen) and water birds. Waders, such as sandpipers are often seen there. The eastern end of the pond is a breeding area for turtles.

Birdlife on billabongs would be similar to that on the rivers and creeks. However, smaller birds such as dotterels and crakes will gravitate to the protection of the reeds around the billabongs and swamps.

Hoary-headed Grebe Hardhead Duck Black Swan

Pink-eared and Freckled Ducks Blue-billed Duck Australasian Grebe

Great Crested Grebe Straw-necked Ibis Intermediate Egret

Chestnut Teal Spotted Crake Nankeen Night-Heron Red-kneed Dotterel

Musk Ducks Black-fronted Dotterel Baillon’s Crake Buff-banded Rail

Little Grassbird Glossy Ibis Spotless Crake Golden-headed Cisticola

Lattham’s Snipe Australasian Shovelor Royal Spoonbill

Wood Sandpiper Australasian Bittern Little Egret Australian Shelduck

Salt Swamps

Lakes Ranfurly & Hawthorn

Follow Fifteenth Street northwest until it reaches the end. You can cross the railway track and then turn left along a dry weather track. Alternative access to Lake Hawthorn is from Regina Avenue via Seventeenth Street.

Paschendale Swamps/Little Cowra Road Swamps

Follow the Sturt Highway from Deakin Ave past the aerodrome and South Merbein. Paschendale Ave is first road to the right after South Merbein. Soon after the Pachendale Swamp you will see Little Cowra Road to the left. The swamps on either side of the railway are a popular breeding ground for Swamp Harriers. The area surrounding the swamp on the eastern side of the railway and Meridian Road, invariably, is home to Chestnut-crowned Babblers. A bittern was recently seen at the swamp.

After you have seen the swamps, you can continue on to the end of Meridian Road or Pascendale Avenue. At that point you can either turn left to go to Wentworth or right to return to Mildura via Merbein.

Twenty-first Street SwampAt the western end of San Mateo Avenue. Alternative access can be made from the

Koorlong end of Benetook Avenue.Blue-billed and Musk Ducks are regularly seen there.

Cardross Lakes

Turn left at the roundabout on Deakin Ave into Fifteenth Street (the Calder Higway). Turn from Fifteenth Street into Benetook Ave and follow it through Koorlong. Turn left into Magnum Avenue.

Mourquong Swamps.This is the best area in the District to see waders. However, permission has to be

obtained from the NSW Lands and Environment Department Office at Buronga/Gol Gol to obtain entry. The locked gate is located on the track behind Stanley Winery. After crossing the bridge from Mildura, continue straight on through Buronga towards Dareton. Turn right into Link Road immediately prior to the winery and follow the road past and behind it to the gate.Wedge-tailed Eagles invariably nest in the area each year.

Red-necked Stint Sharp-tailed Sandpipers Sharp-tailed and Marsh Sandpipers

Greenshanks Red-capped Plover Curlew Sandpiper

White-headed Stilt Ruddy Turnstone Red-necked Avocet White-headed and Banded Stilts

Mallee and Belar Areas

Gol GolThe area at the commencement of Danson Road ( the road to Mallee Cliffs National

Park) is a convenient spot for birdwatching. It can be found by crossing the Chaffey Bridge and turning right at the Buronga roundabout. Continue on through Gol Gol and past Riverview Estate. The entrance to the track is to the left, immediately before a sweeping right hand turn in the road (the Sturt Highway).

Castles Crossing Reserve (Predominantly Belar) – On the right-hand side of Calder Highway travelling south of Red Cliffs, between Carwarp and Boonoonar. Spotted Harriers and Australian Hobbys sometimes nest there. Hattah – Kulkine National Park

See Parks

Murray Sunset National ParkSee Parks

The birds marked with (M) usually prefer mallee areas and those marked (B) – belar. Those not marked at all can often be seen in either mallee, belar or box woodlands.

Mallee Emu-wrens – male and young male (right) (M) Striated Grass-wren (M)

Inland Thornbill Splendid Fairy-wren Weebill (not B) Shy Hylacola (M)

White – browed Treecreeper Yellow-throated Miner Striped Honeyeater

Yellow –rumped Pardalote Mallee Fowl (M) Souther Scrub-Robin (M)

White-browed Honeyeater (M) Golden Whistler Yellow Thornbill

Yellow-plumed Red-lored Chestnut Quail-thrush (M) Spotted Nightjar (normally M)Honeyeater (M) Whistler (M)

Mulga Parrot (M & B) Brown Goshawk Bluebonnet Parrot Gilbert’s Whistler (usually Belar) (common in Wheatlands – see below)

Crested Bellbird Varied Sittella Chestnut-rumped Thornbill

Australian (Mallee) Ringneck Parrot Jackie Winter Chestnut-crowned Babbler(mostly open woodlands and wheatlands)

Saltbush, Bluebush and Lignum Plains

Fletchers LakeDrive to Dareton via the Silver City Highway – either from Buronga or from

Abbotsford Bridge at Curlwaa (past Merbein).Fletchers Lake Road is the first road north from the Silver City Highway on

the eastern side of Dareton. Hobbs Patch

Before reaching Dareton on the Silver City Highway from the west there is a road called Keenans Drive to the north. Follow this road only until it turns to the right. Continue straight on over the unsealed road. The bushland on either side of the track is the floodplain of Tuckers Creek, a stream which joins the Murray to the Darling River. This is a dry weather road only and you can, actually, follow it until it reaches Wentworth. Entry is from a dry-weather track to the right once the road has dropped to down to the flat proper. Turn left at the gate in the east-west fence. Hobbs patch is of significance because it has a naturally occurring patch of eremophila (emu bush). In some years, Black and Pied Honeyeaters can be seen feeding on the bushes in springtime.

Raak PlainThis ancient lake bed forms part of the Murray Sunset National Park.

Instructions on how to access the park can be found in the chapter entitled “Parks”The Raak plain can be found on Meridian Road past Settlement Road and

Hensckes Track when coming from the north. You will see the abandoned gypsum workings on the bottom end of Meridian Road and around the corner on Nowingie track to the west.

If you are very lucky you might see the Rufus Field-wren amongst the very undistinguished looking bluebush and dillon bush on the plain.

Perry SandhillsThese sandhills are popular with children. Follow the Silver City Highway

northwards through Wentworth. Turn right into the Old Renmark Road. You will pass the aerodrome on the right and then on the left you will see the sandhills. To their right you might see Chestnut-crowned Babblers. Also on right (west) side of the hills Rainbow Bee-eaters and White-backed Swallows nest amongst the solidified dunes in springtime.

Several years ago, Redthroats were seen on the plains to the west of the sandhills, but regular sightings don’t occur now until you reach the plains north of Renmark, SA.

Lignum Flats which border all the watercourses and billabongs in the Area

Crimson Chat Rufous Fieldwren Orange Chat(Raak Plain Only, apart from near NSW/SA border)

Zebra Finch White-fronted Chat Banded Lapwing Southern Whiteface

White-winged Fairy-Wren Australian Pipit Redthroat (Also often seen in Wheatlands) (only reliable sighting area - Nearie Lake, NSW area)

Black-tailed Native Hen Inland Dotterel

Wheatlands

Millewa – Sturt Highway, Meridian Road, etc.Mallee – Calder Highway, etc.

Stubble Quail Spotted Harrier Little Button-quail

Spring Migrants – Seen in Most of the District

Brown Songlark Rufous Songlark White-winged Triller Grey Fantail (Early April to Early Spring)

White-breasted Pallid Cuckoo Horsefield’s Bronze- Fantailed CuckooWoodswallows Cuckoo

Black-eared Cuckoo Black-faced White-browed and Woodswallows Masked Woodswallows

Rare or Infrequent Visitors to this District

Pied Honeyeater Black Honeyeater Olive-backed Oriole New Holland Honeyeater Stops off for a few days most years permanent colony at Ouyen

Yellow-faced Honeyeater Osprey Australian Pratincole Tawny-crowned Honeyeater

Ground Cuckoo-Shrike Painted Snipes Dollarbird White-naped

Honeyeater

Cattle Egret Musk Lorikeet Square-tailed Kite Blue-winged Parrot

Fuscous Honeyeater Purple-gaped Honeyeater

Hattah – Kulkyne NPThis is located south of Red Cliffs.

The northern part of the park can be accessed from Kulkyne Way (the River Road) from Red Cliffs via Karadoc, Nangiloc and Colignan. You can, also, get there from the Calder Highway via Boonoonar Road.

The southern part is most often accessed from Hattah on the Calder Highway.

Murray Sunset NPThere are several points of access.

You can cut across to the west from the Calder Highway at Nowingie or Hattah.Perhaps the more common way is to get there via Koorlong. This entails traveling

down Fifteenth Street (the Calder Highway) to Benetook Ave and then turning right. Follow

Benetook Ave past Koorlong to Millewa Road then turn right. Several kilometers to the west on Millewa Road takes you to Meridian Road on the left. The park is huge and adjoins Meridian Road from Settlement Road to Nowingie Track.

Australian Inland Botanical GardensThis is located not far from Mildura. Just cross the Chaffey Bridge to

Buronga. At the roundabout, continue ahead on the Silver City Highway. The next road on the left after Pitman Ave is River Road. This takes you to the Gardens.

More Remote Areas

Ellerslie, (NSW)Situated on the main road from Wentworth to Pooncarie, there are stands of box and

mallee on both sides of the road once you have passed the Ellerslie turn-off. If you do decide to visit Ellerslie itself, you will obtain a view of the Darling River.

Mallanbool Nature ReserveFollow the Sturt Highway towards Adelaide from Mildura. Once you have passed

South Merbein, you will be in the wheat growing district called the Millewa. At Lake Cullulleraine, turn left to Werrimul. The nature reserve is situated to the south of this town. It would be best to consult a map at that point. Gilbert’s Whistlers and White-browed Treecreepers can be seen at the reserve.

The visit to Mallanbool can be combined with a look at the Meringur farming museum. Meringur is a short drive west of Werrimul on the Millewa Road.

Wargan RoadTurn right from the Calder Highway at South Merbein into Meridian Road and then

turn left into Wargan Road.Blue winged and Elegant parrots have been seen (albeit, very rarely) in the general

vicinity of the Wargan Road/Curtis Road intersection. In late spring, Brown Songlarks, White-fronted, Orange and Crimson Chats can be seen on Curtis Road or further on into O’Day Road.

Bottle Bend, (NSW)This is a Murray River bend situated off the Sturt Highway on the eastern side of

Paringi. The adjoining billabong has been adversely affected by the drought but environmental improvement work has been done in the area the bend is worth a look if you are in the vicinity.

CulluleraineSituated on the Calder Highway on the drive to Adelaide, Lake Cullulleraine is filled

from the Murray River and is a popular picnic area for the locals. Access to the river can be gained from a road to the right immediately after the Cullulleraine settlement. The lake area supports a resident large flock of Little Corellas, and Purple Swamphen, Eurasian Coots and Dusky Moorhens are always there. Look for some White-breasted Woodswallows which often breed there.

Neds Corner

Neds Corner is an old sheep station which is now maintained as a heritage area by the Trust for Nature. It is located some thirty minutes from Lake Cullulleraine towards Renmark. The road to property crosses a bluebush flat on which orange chats and banded lapwings are often sighted. The homestead is situated on the banks of the river and a track to the right will give good views of the Murray. There have been rare sightings of Inland Dotterels and a Plains-wanderer was seen a few years ago. Regent Parrots have, also been seen in the Mulcra Island area of the reserve.

Restricted AreasThese are all situated in the NSW districts around Mildura.

Mallee Cliffs National ParkThis is a large, predominantly mallee block which is home to mallee fowl.

Its main entrance is located to the east of Gol Gol past Riverview Estate. The track is unsealed and leaves the Silver City Highway to the left.

Permission for access would have to be obtained from the National Parks and Wildlife office at Buronga or from the contract operators of the Park, Australian Wildlife Conservancy. This permission would, probably, only be forthcoming for such groups as field naturalists and bird observers rather than for individuals. Further instructions on the rout to the park could be obtained from the park staff if permission is granted.

Kelso BlockThis was formerly the old “Coomealla” Western Lands Commission grazing

lease. It constitutes most of the mallee and belar bushlands between Mourquong and Dareton and permission has to be obtained from the Lands Department, Midway (Buronga/Gol Gol). Gilbert’s Whistlers and White-browed Treecreepers can often be seen on the property.

Tarawi Nature ReserveThis reserve is operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Buronga.

It is situated directly to the west of the Scotia Sanctuary.

Morquong Swamps (see above)