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NEWS
Red Tailed Black Cockatoos have been sighted in Tooan Park.
(YEP - we saw two groups of about 7 and 13 on our visit there
with John McQueen - others have reported more)
They normally don't migrate this far north, but seem to have moved further - possibly in response to land clearing of their
traditional nesting sites of dead - hollow trees. (Oct 2000)
Natimuk is an excellent base from which to carry out bird observing
expeditions. Not only is there a wide selection of accommodation and fine cafes but the town is centrally located in relation to a number of
National and State Parks. Within one hour of Natimuk, often closer, is Arapiles-Tooan, The Little Desert National Park, The Black Range State Park, and the Grampians.
On top of this there are many saltlakes and water bodies which are also Nature Reserves .
Just north of Natimuk is the Lake Wyn Wyn where, when conditions
are right, Banded Stilts arrive on a long migration from Central Asia. The lake is one of many important wetland and saline areas in the
Wimmera, (the Natimuk-Douglas Hyper Saline Wetlands) nominated to for the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. Only
slightly further North there is also the Big Desert and Wyperfeld National Parks. In the scrub to the south there are rare red-tailed
black cockatoos.
All of these venues offer fine opportunities for bird-watching with a variety of bushland and bird species, from the rugged rocky hills of the
Grampians and Arapiles to the sandy scrub of Tooan and the Little Desert. In spring the cliffs are drenched in the various calls of the Rufous Whistler.
Our closest park, Arapiles has over 111 bird species recorded, weebills, thornbills, honeyeaters, lorrikeets, parrots, tree creepers, red-rumped parrots, robins, superb blue wrens, and babblers
amongst many others. Arapiles is the southern limit for a number of species - the Varigated Blue Wren, the Southern Scrub Robin and Gilbert's Whistler.
The cliffs are the perfect place from which to watch Nankeen Kestrels and the rare Peregrine Falcon play in the breeze. When the Falcons are nesting (late-winter to mid summer) climbers are asked to heed
cliff closures.
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