The carpark was surrounded by flowering gums and the noise of raucous birds was overwhelming. Being such a large gum though, it is quite difficult to actually see the birds feeding in the tree tops. A lot of time was spent craning my neck and staring into the canopy - I'm sure it was an interesting sight to all the uni students that passed me by.
The first gum turned out to occupy a large flock of Musk Lorikeets. A pool of water had formed in a small hollow where the tree branches met the trunk and the birds were having a wonderful time splashing about.
 |
| Musk Lorikeet, Glossopsitta concinna |
The next gum I came across had a hard working Cockatoo doing some renovations on his nesting hole.
 |
| Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita |
A little further on there was a big dead gum trunk and it was here that I finally got a look at my first Swift Parrot. From September-March, the Swift Parrot breeds only in Tasmania. They move to mainland Victoria and NSW over winter. Swift Parrots are listed as endangered and it is thought that there are only 1000 pairs left in the wild. After discovering this I feel pretty lucky to have seen one in the wild.
 |
| Swift Parrot, Lathamus discolor |
On the same dead trunk I was also lucky enough to encounter a pair of beautiful Australian King Parrots.
 |
| Australian King Parrot (male), Alisterus scapularis |
 |
| Australian King Parrot (female), Alisterus scapularis |
To end my visit I took a short walk through the wildlife reserve and got these shots of a female Golden Whistler.
 |
| Golden Whistler (female), Pachycephala pectoralis |
