Birds of Sugarloaf Reservoir

Wedge-tailed eagle, Sugarloaf Reservoir Park (31 July 2013)

I think I have found a place close enough to home (which is in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne) that provides birding a little different from my immediate haunts. The bush around Sugarloaf Reservoir has sections of dry open forest and grassland. This provides for different birding from the tall forests and dense fern gullies of the Dandenongs for instance.

Here is a Park Guide. I have just visited for a second time. On both occasions the visit was in winter and I enjoyed walking the first 1km or so of the Chris Phillips Walk (leaving from the Saddle Dam Picnic area).

Pied currawong

White-winged chough have a great habit of nonchalantly wandering away from the observer - slow enough to get you interested but rarely presenting a favourable perspective! 

Missed the opportunity! Out-of-focus White-winged chough

Crimson rosella

White-eared honeyeater

Brown-headed honeyeater

Golden whistler

Superb fairy-wren 

Female Scarlet robin - the "insurance shot"

Managed to get a little closer to the male - Scarlet robin

"Bye!" Scarlet robin

Australian pelican

Great habitat for bush birds!

Eastern grey kangaroo

Bird on!