Big Birding Bash
Big Day Out with Steven Castan
Every now and then, we all have that special birding experiences which goes above and beyond our expectations. Experiences like stumbling upon a rare species, a successful twitch or a even that rare occasion where everything just seems to go right all fulfill this criteria. As I met Steven Castan by my gate at 7.30am, I don't either of us could have predicted the amazing day we were about to have and what a truly memorable experience it would turn out to be - but today was about to be one of those days!
Steven Castan - birder, photographer, beloved family man, instagrammer, barrister and all-round top bloke has got to be one of the most positive and invigorating people I've ever had the privilege of spending time with. Resident of the beautiful Margaret River in WA, I first met Steven when my band the Horns Of Leroy performed at his sons barmitzvah. Since then, I have promised to take him out on a proper birding trip when he was next back in Melbourne and after six months, that opportunity had finally arrived.
Steven, despite growing up in Melbourne, had many targets for his life list as birds had only come onto the scene after moving to Margaret River. After having a look at his list, I drew up a quick day plan deciding to focus mainly on the west/north areas of the Greater Melbourne region. Today our plan was to drive north west to Eynesbury Forest and Grasslands, South to the Western Treatment Plant and then north east across to Banyule and Macleod.
So at 7.30am we set off bright eyed and excited for a massive day of birding. On the way to our first stop we went through the target list for the day. Crested Shriketit, Golden Whistler, Diamond Firetail, Flame Robin, Little Lorikeet, Swift Parrot, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Blue-winged Parrot, Red-rumped Parrot, Mistletoebird, Powerful Owl, Spotted Harrier, White-naped Honeyeater, Striated Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Cattle Egret, Black Falcon and Brown Treecreeper. Not a bad list! Some easy stuff and some hard stuff.
At 8.20am, only about 15km from Eynesbury, we were passing through the small area of Rockbank when we succeeded with our first two ticks. I hit the brakes and pulled over as a flock of Little Lorikeet quickly shot over our heads screeching their iconic "zit-zit-zit" call. To add the excitement, I looked up the road to see some bright green birds perched along the fence. I raised my bins and to my surprise found a trio of Blue-winged Parrot. We snuck up in the car and Steven managed to get a good look at one as it crawled around on the grass in the adjacent farmland.
Before too long we arrived at the wonderful Eynesbury Forest and Grasslands and the bird life was really kicking it. The first bird we saw as we pulled up was a magnificent Little Eagle soaring low over the treetops in the frosty morning air. I stand by Eynesbury being the best location to see Little Eagle in Melbourne, they're just always here! Now if Eynesbury was a great site for Little Eagle, then for Red-rumped Parrot it must be a total haven. We were consumed and surrounded by huge numbers of this gorgeous little parrot with birds seen and heard everywhere we went. Tick number 3 down!
The ticks kept on coming as we stumbled upon the first Brown Treecreeper for the day - bouncing up and down the trees as only a treecreeper can. Both Striated and Spotted Pardalote began to call and we observed many birds feeding on the lerp in the eucalypts. There were overwintering Tree Martin, Willie Wagtail, Superb Fairywren, White-plumed Honeyeater, both Crimson and Eastern Rosella and Laughing Kookaburra almost everywhere we looked. The birds were performing so now it was our chance to track down the ones we were after.
Steven Castan - birder, photographer, beloved family man, instagrammer, barrister and all-round top bloke has got to be one of the most positive and invigorating people I've ever had the privilege of spending time with. Resident of the beautiful Margaret River in WA, I first met Steven when my band the Horns Of Leroy performed at his sons barmitzvah. Since then, I have promised to take him out on a proper birding trip when he was next back in Melbourne and after six months, that opportunity had finally arrived.
Steven, despite growing up in Melbourne, had many targets for his life list as birds had only come onto the scene after moving to Margaret River. After having a look at his list, I drew up a quick day plan deciding to focus mainly on the west/north areas of the Greater Melbourne region. Today our plan was to drive north west to Eynesbury Forest and Grasslands, South to the Western Treatment Plant and then north east across to Banyule and Macleod.
So at 7.30am we set off bright eyed and excited for a massive day of birding. On the way to our first stop we went through the target list for the day. Crested Shriketit, Golden Whistler, Diamond Firetail, Flame Robin, Little Lorikeet, Swift Parrot, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Blue-winged Parrot, Red-rumped Parrot, Mistletoebird, Powerful Owl, Spotted Harrier, White-naped Honeyeater, Striated Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Cattle Egret, Black Falcon and Brown Treecreeper. Not a bad list! Some easy stuff and some hard stuff.
At 8.20am, only about 15km from Eynesbury, we were passing through the small area of Rockbank when we succeeded with our first two ticks. I hit the brakes and pulled over as a flock of Little Lorikeet quickly shot over our heads screeching their iconic "zit-zit-zit" call. To add the excitement, I looked up the road to see some bright green birds perched along the fence. I raised my bins and to my surprise found a trio of Blue-winged Parrot. We snuck up in the car and Steven managed to get a good look at one as it crawled around on the grass in the adjacent farmland.
Before too long we arrived at the wonderful Eynesbury Forest and Grasslands and the bird life was really kicking it. The first bird we saw as we pulled up was a magnificent Little Eagle soaring low over the treetops in the frosty morning air. I stand by Eynesbury being the best location to see Little Eagle in Melbourne, they're just always here! Now if Eynesbury was a great site for Little Eagle, then for Red-rumped Parrot it must be a total haven. We were consumed and surrounded by huge numbers of this gorgeous little parrot with birds seen and heard everywhere we went. Tick number 3 down!
The ticks kept on coming as we stumbled upon the first Brown Treecreeper for the day - bouncing up and down the trees as only a treecreeper can. Both Striated and Spotted Pardalote began to call and we observed many birds feeding on the lerp in the eucalypts. There were overwintering Tree Martin, Willie Wagtail, Superb Fairywren, White-plumed Honeyeater, both Crimson and Eastern Rosella and Laughing Kookaburra almost everywhere we looked. The birds were performing so now it was our chance to track down the ones we were after.
Red-rumped Parrot
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Diamond Firetail
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Little Eagle
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Heading deeper into the forest we discovered a lone White-naped Honeyeater feeding low in the canopy - tick number 4! Steven even managed some shots, so we celebrated another gorgeous bird under the belt! Around the bend, our luck continued with a small party of Buff-rumped Thornbill. We watched as they whirred around our heads like little fluffy wind up toys, chirping and singing their cheerful song. Then out of nowhere, we heard the distinct "honk" of an Australian Shelduck and turned to see a pair flying like rockets through the trees.
At last we ran into our first troublesome species of the day. Heading back out the forest we heard a distant Crested Shriketit and turned back to track it down. It wasn't too long before we got onto a bird but it took one look at us and whirred off out of sight. Over the next half an hour we chased many very uncooperative birds up and down the forest. Disappointingly, they continued to only provide brief glimpses - so we gave up and headed down into the township. Here our luck was reversed and we arrived at the sports oval opposite the lake to find a flock of 11 Diamond Firetail feeding on the grass wide out in the open. What an amazing sight! Steven was totally wrapped!
With about half a dozen new ticks for Steven's list we bid farewell to the gorgeous finches and set course for the legendary Western Treatment Plant. Here we had 7 more targets - Black Falcon, Cattle Egret, Flame Robin, Spotted Harrier, Crested Shriketit, Golden Whistler and Purple-crowned Lorikeet. We did the normal stuff and searched along Beach Rd, Point Wilson Rd and Paradise Road for Black Falcon, Spotted Harrier and Flame Robin but no birds could not be found. We enjoyed sensational views of a pair of Brolga, half a dozen Black Swan sitting on nests and even stumbled upon a precious Masked Lapwing nest also. Seems that Spring was approaching fast!
Then suddenly it hit me - there was an Australasian Bittern currently in the Western Lagoon! This would be a massive bonus tick for Steven - so we quickly turned the car around and headed straight down Point Wilson Rd. This bird had been reported multiple times from the middle pond adjacent to the Spit Wildlife Reserve so that's where we decided to begin our search. After cruising along the road scanning every inch of the pond I slammed the breaks as I spotted the Australasian Bittern craning its head out of the reeds as this species does so famously. Well we celebrated! What a sensational species and certainly a massive highlight of the day so far. The bird performed for us wonderfully - standing only metres away, walking about in the open and even flying right by our heads.
At last we ran into our first troublesome species of the day. Heading back out the forest we heard a distant Crested Shriketit and turned back to track it down. It wasn't too long before we got onto a bird but it took one look at us and whirred off out of sight. Over the next half an hour we chased many very uncooperative birds up and down the forest. Disappointingly, they continued to only provide brief glimpses - so we gave up and headed down into the township. Here our luck was reversed and we arrived at the sports oval opposite the lake to find a flock of 11 Diamond Firetail feeding on the grass wide out in the open. What an amazing sight! Steven was totally wrapped!
With about half a dozen new ticks for Steven's list we bid farewell to the gorgeous finches and set course for the legendary Western Treatment Plant. Here we had 7 more targets - Black Falcon, Cattle Egret, Flame Robin, Spotted Harrier, Crested Shriketit, Golden Whistler and Purple-crowned Lorikeet. We did the normal stuff and searched along Beach Rd, Point Wilson Rd and Paradise Road for Black Falcon, Spotted Harrier and Flame Robin but no birds could not be found. We enjoyed sensational views of a pair of Brolga, half a dozen Black Swan sitting on nests and even stumbled upon a precious Masked Lapwing nest also. Seems that Spring was approaching fast!
Then suddenly it hit me - there was an Australasian Bittern currently in the Western Lagoon! This would be a massive bonus tick for Steven - so we quickly turned the car around and headed straight down Point Wilson Rd. This bird had been reported multiple times from the middle pond adjacent to the Spit Wildlife Reserve so that's where we decided to begin our search. After cruising along the road scanning every inch of the pond I slammed the breaks as I spotted the Australasian Bittern craning its head out of the reeds as this species does so famously. Well we celebrated! What a sensational species and certainly a massive highlight of the day so far. The bird performed for us wonderfully - standing only metres away, walking about in the open and even flying right by our heads.
Australasian Bittern
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Eurasian Tree Sparrow
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Black Swan
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Despite our best efforts, we struggling with our remaining poo farm targets. To add insult to injury - we were yet again teased by another Crested Shriketit calling in the woodlot (is July just a bad month for this bird?!). We did however manage to score some great views of Cattle Egret (tick number 8) and enjoyed a hunting Peregrine Falcon at the woodlot, a pair of Brown Goshawk along Point Wilson Road and a flock of overwintering Curlew Sandpiper in the Western Lagoon. Deciding it was time to move on - we jumped on the freeway and headed back towards the city.
Along the way I asked if Steven had the introduced 'plastic' species - Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Turned out he didn't, so we interrupted our course and took the Hoppers Crossing exit. In the heart of industrial Hoppers Crossing, there is a aviculture specialist shop called Western Garden Birds. Here the owners regularly feed the wild birds attracting astronomical numbers of both House Sparrow and Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Today was no exception and as we pulled up the front we had spectacular views of approximately 400+ Eurasian Tree sparrow and 150+ House Sparrow (both conservative guesses). On our way out, we also added White-necked Heron to our day list thanks to the wetlands adjacent to the main highway.
Back on the road, we eventually arrived at the Macleod Railway Station - home to a huge variety of native eucalyptus attracting parrots and lorikeets galore. Our target today was another critically endangered species - the Swift Parrot. Stepping out the car, we were instantly greeted by a flock of 20 birds feeding low in the tree, only metres from our heads! What an insanely lucky day we seemed to be having! Amongst the screeching chaos we also picked out Musk Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Eastern Rosella, Little Lorikeet and a female Spotted Pardalote.
It was now almost 4.00pm and with time for only one more stop, we heading towards Banyule Flat Reserve to chase after our final target - Powerful Owl. Getting out of the car, we wandering left down the main path before heading off track and in through the scrub. On our way through the bush we observed New Holland Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Golden Whistler, European Goldfinch and even a pair of Scarlet Robin. We also bumped into local bird guide Simon Starr who had also just come from the Swift Parrot site. Simon is one of the states and countries most experienced and excellent bird guides and someone I highly recommend to anyone looking for some excellent birding adventures. Soon we reached the fabled Powerful Owl roost and after a bit of searching...success! There she was, an absolutely stunning adult female Powerful Owl perched impressively on a half eaten Ringtail Possum. What a special moment and special bird. Steven snapped away, taking some incredible photographs as the bird just gazed down at us from her perch.
Along the way I asked if Steven had the introduced 'plastic' species - Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Turned out he didn't, so we interrupted our course and took the Hoppers Crossing exit. In the heart of industrial Hoppers Crossing, there is a aviculture specialist shop called Western Garden Birds. Here the owners regularly feed the wild birds attracting astronomical numbers of both House Sparrow and Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Today was no exception and as we pulled up the front we had spectacular views of approximately 400+ Eurasian Tree sparrow and 150+ House Sparrow (both conservative guesses). On our way out, we also added White-necked Heron to our day list thanks to the wetlands adjacent to the main highway.
Back on the road, we eventually arrived at the Macleod Railway Station - home to a huge variety of native eucalyptus attracting parrots and lorikeets galore. Our target today was another critically endangered species - the Swift Parrot. Stepping out the car, we were instantly greeted by a flock of 20 birds feeding low in the tree, only metres from our heads! What an insanely lucky day we seemed to be having! Amongst the screeching chaos we also picked out Musk Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Eastern Rosella, Little Lorikeet and a female Spotted Pardalote.
It was now almost 4.00pm and with time for only one more stop, we heading towards Banyule Flat Reserve to chase after our final target - Powerful Owl. Getting out of the car, we wandering left down the main path before heading off track and in through the scrub. On our way through the bush we observed New Holland Honeyeater, Black-faced Cuckooshrike, Golden Whistler, European Goldfinch and even a pair of Scarlet Robin. We also bumped into local bird guide Simon Starr who had also just come from the Swift Parrot site. Simon is one of the states and countries most experienced and excellent bird guides and someone I highly recommend to anyone looking for some excellent birding adventures. Soon we reached the fabled Powerful Owl roost and after a bit of searching...success! There she was, an absolutely stunning adult female Powerful Owl perched impressively on a half eaten Ringtail Possum. What a special moment and special bird. Steven snapped away, taking some incredible photographs as the bird just gazed down at us from her perch.
Powerful Owl
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Swift Parrot
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Eastern Rosella
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On our way out, we gave Mistletoebird a look as a final effort to get Steven some more ticks. Unfortunately we dipped, but as compensation we got a little flock of Striated Thornbill down by the eastern end over the river. Tick!
It had been a truly amazing day with Steven with some amazing birding highlights such as Diamond Firetail, Australasian Bittern, Swift Parrot, Powerful Owl and Brolga. In about 9 hours we had driven 230km and seen 96 species of bird. I look forward to birding with Steven again in September when he returns and we go out searching for the magical Greater Sooty Owl!