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.