The Challenge Begins!

This year I'm going to attempt Jen's 2019 5MR Challenge. That is, to try to find as many birds as I can in my 5-mile radius during the year.

To kick off my challenge, I decided to get out early to the Royal Botanic Gardens. I've only birded here once before, and figured there'd be less people around on New Year's morning than on a weekend when I'd probably usually go.

mmm... look at all that lush greenery through the gate!

I got there just after the gates opened at 7.30am and straight away there was a lot of small bird action. A Grey Fantail appeared, there were some White-browed Scrubwrens in the undergrowth and I noticed a couple of Spotted Pardalotes high up in a tall gum. A whole bunch of Silvereyes also flew in and got some little fruit snacks on one of the bushes.

a sweet little Silvereye

I started around the Ornamental Lake where I found some ducks snoozing on the small landing that the punts leave from.

Pacific Black Duck

Australian Wood Duck

I could hear a Pacific Koel somewhere in the gardens which had been calling since I'd got out of my car. I wondered whether I should go and try to track it down but it seemed quite far... then suddenly it seems a lot closer so I headed towards it. Of course it stopped calling and when it started again it sounded like it was coming from the opposite direction.  *sigh*

I did find some more Wood Ducks on the detour

I gave up on the Koel and made a side-track into the Fern Gully hopeful of some Bassian Thrushes that have been reported several times on eBird. I thought the Fern Gully would be a likely spot but no Bassians, only few more White-browed Scrubwren and Common Blackbirds. 

Actually there were a lot of blackbirds around, in the garden beds and on the lawns, which I guess is not surprising for this kind of habitat.

this female was getting some sun

And speaking of introduced birds, Common Mynas also seemed to be everywhere.

lots and lots of these guys

Back by the water there were quite a few Silver Gulls just sitting around - the picnickers hadn't arrived yet so what else is there do?

just relax and enjoy the view?

or practice your one-leg poses?

Besides coots and ducks there were two Black Swans on the lake and a few Little Black Cormorants fishing. There were also plenty of Dusky Moorhens and Australasian Swamphens. I scanned the islands for Nankeen-night Herons which are often reported but didn't see any. Maybe that's not where they roost!

Eurasian Coot

The Bell Miners hang out around the Lower Yarra Habitat section in the north-east part of lake - but you can easily hear their chiming from the other side of the water too! I think this is one of only two colonies in my 5MR and they are really easy to see here.

and a kinda awkward pic of one mid-preen

home of the Bell Miners

also, a swamphen was checking out the native plants here

Completing my walk around the lake I got great views of an Australian Reed Warbler I'd seen very briefly when I first arrived.

ok so it is still behind one reed but that's kind of their deal

Parrot-wise this section had offered up a lot of the usual Rainbow Lorikeets, one fly-over male Red-rumped Parrot and a couple of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos.

this guy was up to mischief with some mates

and this cocky just sat way up high on the top of a pine tree

I explored a bit of the southern section of the gardens but only added Laughing Kookaburras to the list - three of them, heard first and then tracked down to a big fig tree.

I also checked out Guilfoyle's Volcano which I hadn't visited before.

there are some cool cacti here

and views of the city skyline

The sun was warming up by this stage and I felt like I'd seen about all I was going to see that morning so made my way back out of the gardens. I'd found 35 species to start off the 2019 birding year and the 5MR Challenge!

The Reed Warbler was probably the best bird for my 5MR and I'll have to make some more regular visits to this hotspot to try for a few more tricky 5MR birds - the Bassian Thrush, an Australasian Darter, perhaps some of the less common ducks and this is one place I could also connect with Powerful Owls. Can I also hope for a Southern Boobook? They have been seen here...

Hopefully I can find some of these and lots of other nice birds in my 5MR in 2019 - stay tuned!

Happy birding for 2019!