Where to go birding in the Melbourne & Sydney areas if the cricket goes down the pan! (1 Viewer)

[biking birder 2010]

Where to go birding in the Melbourne & Sydney areas if the cricket goes down the pan!

Hiya!

A long standing debt to me has finally been paid and with the money I've decided to go to the Melbourne and Sydney Test matches. Now as a birder the plan is to bird as much as possible morning and evenings by sleeping in a hire car most nights.

Right, I've bought the field guides, I've amassed a list of the areas main nature reserves and found some lists of the birds to be expected.

My request to you, dear birder, is simple. Where would you go birding around either Sydney or Melbourne and what should I be looking for as the best birding experiences.

The cricket might well give me a number of totally birding days! Mind you to be at the SCG and see the lads lifting the little urn again would be amazing, and a miracle after the First test debacle.

Thanks to everyone.

All the very best,

Gary Prescott aka Biking Birder 2010:t:

 

[trw]

Well you will see plenty of ducks watching England bat.
Apart from that the Centennial Park in Sydney is not far from the ground.
It has some great birdwatching areas around the lakes and bushes.
there is a large central lake out of bounds for swimmers,and boats with a central island.It was always full of egrets and herons.
Royal National Park isn't too far out of Sydney.
Well worth a visit.
I was staying near Waverly Cemetary and spent hours walking along the coastal path.
Great for sea birds, and birds in the shrubs and trees along the way.
You will be amazed by the number of birds you can see just amongst the leafy suberbs in the gardens and along the streets in the trees.
Have a great time!

 

[PhilW]

The botanical gardens in Melbourne is well worth a visit. Little Penguins breed in small numbers in the sea defences at St Kilda which is a tram ride from the city centre.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Eastlakes Golf Course, a little to the south of the SCG, is good for a range of birds. Sydney Olympic Park should also have a lot of stuff and plenty of trails to explore. You may find the following website helpful for Sydney:
http://users.tpg.com.au/mrtroy/birding/index.html

 

[dandsblair]

Around Sydney

Would also recommmend getting Ferry to Manly, Little Penguins at Collins Beach and then out to the point for some sea watching picking up quite a bit en-route.
Area around the Olympic park we also found really good.

 

[Jon Turner]

I'll be there in March, so will follow these instructions too! Thanks for these replies - any more welcome.

 

[biking birder 2010]

Well you will see plenty of ducks watching England bat.
Apart from that the Centennial Park in Sydney is not far from the ground.
It has some great birdwatching areas around the lakes and bushes.
there is a large central lake out of bounds for swimmers,and boats with a central island.It was always full of egrets and herons.
Royal National Park isn't too far out of Sydney.
Well worth a visit.
I was staying near Waverly Cemetary and spent hours walking along the coastal path.
Great for sea birds, and birds in the shrubs and trees along the way.
You will be amazed by the number of birds you can see just amongst the leafy suberbs in the gardens and along the streets in the trees.
Have a great time!

Now that was cruel to mention the ducks. I've always loved the way the Ozs have a cartoon duck at the bottom of a tv screen as such a batsman walks off.
Thanks for the advice. Will look up the places you suggest.

Thanks to everyone who has replied. Loving the research and grateful to you all.
All the best,
Gary:t:

 

[MSA]

Would also recommmend getting Ferry to Manly, Little Penguins at Collins Beach and then out to the point for some sea watching picking up quite a bit en-route.
Area around the Olympic park we also found really good.

When I stayed at Manly I had no idea about Collins Beach, I'll remember next time! It would however explain how I managed to see one from the ferry crossing from there to the city, I'd assumed it had just strayed into the harbour area.

 

[auchinbowie]

Hiya!

Where would you go birding around either Sydney or Melbourne and what should I be looking for as the best birding experiences.

Gary Prescott aka Biking Birder 2010:t:

Gary,

If you are prepared to hire a car for a day, the place I would pick near Melbourne is WERRIBEE sewage works. It is a large complex on the shoreline about 20 miles south-west of the city. It is more like a park with lagoons than the typical sewage works. Although the site is best known for Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Parrots, which will be in Tasmania during your visit: the shear range of species is probably unrivaled in either the Melbourne and Sydney vicinities. It would be a great place to get an introduction to Australian birds. Do check out that it is still open to the public.

Other places to check out are YOU YANGS and BRISBANE RANGES. Both are also to the south-west of Melbourne, between Werribee and Gelong. From this, I would recommend accommodation that side of the city. I do not know, however, if the MCG would then be close by.

From my experience, there is a significant risk that rain will curtail play. I hope you do not encounter torrential conditions.

Dave

 

[biking birder 2010]

Gary,

If you are prepared to hire a car for a day, the place I would pick near Melbourne is WERRIBEE sewage works. It is a large complex on the shoreline about 20 miles south-west of the city. It is more like a park with lagoons than the typical sewage works. Although the site is best known for Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Parrots, which will be in Tasmania during your visit: the shear range of species is probably unrivaled in either the Melbourne and Sydney vicinities. It would be a great place to get an introduction to Australian birds. Do check out that it is still open to the public.

Other places to check out are YOU YANGS and BRISBANE RANGES. Both are also to the south-west of Melbourne, between Werribee and Gelong. From this, I would recommend accommodation that side of the city. I do not know, however, if the MCG would then be close by.

From my experience, there is a significant risk that rain will curtail play. I hope you do not encounter torrential conditions.

Dave

Thanks Dave. My intention is to hire a car for most of the holiday. It'll be my bed for most of it. I usually end up doing this when I'm on holiday as i love the immeadiacy of being out where the birds are. Thanks so much for your advice. I'm collating all the suggestions and drawing up a route map. Brilliant. Thanks again.
All the best
Gary Prescott:t:

 

[biking birder 2010]

OK!!!!

I'm so sorry to anyone who was wonderful enough to answer my plea but I've changed my mind. The image of sitting with thousands of celebrating Aussies have made me change my plans. I know that maybe I should have more faith in the Australian cricket team imploding and England's phoenix emerging fro the present ashes but I've booked a flight to Peru to hide from the present debacle.
Australia will have to be next away Ashes series.

Thanks to everyone who offered advice. Now don't be cruel - le me hide from the taunts in peace, over the west side of the Andes. Should be high enough to hide me - and there are 1800 plus bird species to enjoy.

Anyone want the Oz field guides I'd bought!?

 

[John Cantelo]

Why watch cricket when birding's an option?