Sunday, August 3, 2008

Melbourne


The Melbourne Skyline

This week I am in Melbourne, with its wide boulevard's, beautiful parks, fine restaurants and interesting buildings. It was fashioned after my favorite city, Paris, and once you know that, you can gain an appreciation for what makes it so great. Beautiful bridges, the river, the art gallery...I could go on.


Black Swans

Today I chose to do some bird watching around Albert Park Lake. Some of my overseas friends might know it- it plays host to the F1 Grand Prix. A very nice park indeed. It was once swampland and was reclaimed. On weekends you will find people sailing, at restaurants, jogging, picnicing, and biking along its shores.



Great Egret

The walk is only about 6 km from the apartment and around the lake. Immediately I was encouraged to find Black Swan, Coot and Swamp Hen. Walking in an anti clockwise direction I was further pleased to find Hard Head Duck, Pacific Black Duck and Little Pied Cormorant.



Hard Head Duck

A Great Egret was making use of a glass panel to be protected from the wind which was blowing quite strongly. Welcome Swallows flew in and out across the water and further on I spotted a Shell Duck, Little Wattle Birds as well as Noisey Minors and Rainbow Lorikeets. The Variety was impressive.




St Kilda Road.

Still further and there were Long Billed Corellas, and Black Winged Stilts, Plovers and Pied Cormorants. It is clear to me that the lake is alive and very healthy. Tomorrow I will walk to the botanical gardens for more bird spotting. Who Knows what I will find!!


Bird list:- Australian Magpie, Australian Magpie ( southern form), Grey Butcher Bird, Pied Butcherbird, Common Bronzewing, King Parrot, Galah, Currawong, Noisy Minor, Crested Pigeon, Wedge Tailed Eagle, Little Eagle, Nankeen Kestral, Australian Hobby, Straw Necked Ibis, Royal Ibis, Sulphur Crested cockatoo, Pee Wee, Willy Wagtail, Black Swan, Coot, Swamp Hen, Silver Gull, Hard Head Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Egret, welcome swallow, Shell Duck, Little Wattle Bird, Rainbow Lorikeets, Pied Cormorant, Long Billed Corella, Plover, Black Winged Stilt, Little Raven, Australian Raven, Common Starling, Common Myna.

13 comments:

  1. I liked the street (Lygon?) that had a zillion Italian restaurants to choose from.... I had never seen anything like it in my life...

    ReplyDelete
  2. yes thats the street Kiwi! Have you recovered from your amazing trip??

    ReplyDelete
  3. The best steak I ever had in my life was in Melbourne, in 1969. It coast one dollar and overhang the sides of the plate. The next best steak I ever had was in broken Hill in 2003.

    Someone obviously doing research on Black Swans in Melbourne!

    I hope everything goes well there mate.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have recovered... it took me a week to get over the exhaustion of the flight home! I really want to go out walking some more before I head back to work but the weather has been C**P! to put it mildly.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Maalie:- thanks mate. yes the tags look quite agressive.

    Kiwi:- Weather? same here. We had a huge wind stoerm and were without power for a few days..

    ReplyDelete
  6. Melbourne looks a very sophisticated city. Like those black swans but isn't it's collar a wee bit tight? How can it eat?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Simon,
    I can't recall ever seeing a "Great Egret." Interesting!

    Yes, I always like accents from people who live in Australia, but that's as close to Aussie land as I've ever come. Hopefully that could change, someday.

    You have received an award over at my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lorenzo- it is. Of course it does not have the harbour like Sydneys but for me everything else is better.

    Ted- they are an interesting bird for sure

    ReplyDelete
  9. Everbody's raving about Melbourne (even some Formula 1 person I happen to have around the house right now, recuperating from last Sunday's Budapest race)! :-)

    One day I shall make the grand tour of Australia, you and your fellow Aussie bloggers make it irresistible.

    ReplyDelete
  10. yes! its pretty good merisi!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. You're in Melbourne? Merisi just told me a coupla minutes ago (literally).

    Call me. Ring the Herald Sun first thing tomorrow (Wednesday) and let's meet .....

    ReplyDelete
  12. Looks great! I love the first best with the skyline right at the waterfront...

    ReplyDelete
  13. David:- I will phone thursday? if thats ok?

    Maria:- Thanks and I agree with you!

    ReplyDelete