On 28th February 2007 I flew into Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and got a skybus to Southern Cross Railway Station. I took a three-hour train journey costing just Au $ 25 (£10) to Pyramid Hill in Northern Victoria where I was met by Simon Starr of Firetail Bird Tours.
http://www.firetailbirdwatchingtours.bigpond.com. E-mail sandastarr@bigpond.com.au
I did a two day tour into the NW region of Victoria, a single day tour and a spotlighting trip for Plains Wanderer.
Stubble Quail, Musk Duck, Freckled Duck, Black Swan, Australian Shelduck, Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Shoveler, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Australian Grebe, Hoary-headed Grebe, Darter, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Australian Pelican, White-faced Heron, Great Egret, Nankeen Night-Heron, Straw-necked Ibis, Australian White Ibis, Royal Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Whistling Kite, Black Kite, Collared Sparrowhawk, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon, Black Falcon, Nankeen Kestrel, Brolga, Spotless Crake, Purple Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Painted Button-Quail, Plains Wanderer, Black-winged Stilt, Red-capped Plover, Black-fronted Dotterel, Masked Lapwing, Silver Gull, Feral Pigeon, Common Bronzewing, Brush Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, Peaceful Dove, Galah, Long-billed Corella, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Musk Lorikeet, Regent Parrot, Yellow (Crimson) Rosella, Eastern Rosella, Australian Ringneck, Blue Bonnet, Red-rumped Parrot, Mulga Parrot, Elegant Parrot, Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo,Southern Boobook, Tawny Frogmouth, Owlet Nightjar, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-Eater, White-throated Treecreeper, Brown Treecreeper, White-browed Treecreeper, Superb Fairy-Wren, Spended Fairy-Wren,Variegated Fairy-Wren, White-winged Fairy-Wren, Mallee Emu-Wren, Striated Grasswren, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Shy Heathwren, Rufous Fieldwren, Redthroat, Speckled Warbler, Weebill, Inland Thornbill, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Yellow Thornbill, Southern Whiteface, Red Wattlebird, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Yellow-throated Miner, Singing Honeyeater, White-eared Honeyeater, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, White-fronted Honeyeater, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, White-fronted Chat, Jacky Winter, Red-capped Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Hooded Robin, Southern Scrub Robin, White-browed Babbler, Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Varied Sitella, Crested Bellbird, Rufous Whistler, Gilbert's Whistler, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Restless Flycatcher, Grey Fantail, Magpielark, Willie Wagtail, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, White-breasted Woodswallow, Dusky Woodswallow, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Grey Currawong, Australian Raven, Little Raven, White-winged Chough, Apostlebird, Singing Bushlark, Skylark, Richard's Pipit, House Sparrow, Zebra Finch, Red-browed Finch, Diamond Firetail, European Goldfinch, Mistletoebird, White-backed Swallow, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin, Fairy Martin, Clamorous Reed Warbler, Little Grassbird, Silvereye, Common Blackbird, Common Starling & Common Mynah.
This trip was value for money. Simon Starr knows his birds and where they can be found. I will, on future trips to Australia, take further trips with Firetail Bird Tours.
Bruce Reynolds.