EAST GIPPSLAND BIRDING GUIDE Omeo
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More places to visit EAST GIPPSLAND BIRDING GUIDE While in East Gippsland there are a variety of places to visit. Some can be a quick picnic stop, while at others you may wish to stay awhile or return to, because several are sites for seasonal migrant birds. Omeo On the web at www.birdlife.org.au/locations/ Guide b ir d lif e -e a s t -g ip p s la n d No. Location 1. BAIRNSDALE 2. LINDENOW 3. MITCHELL RIVER Postal Address Box 825 Bairnsdale, NATIONAL PARK Victoria, 3875 4. PAYNESVILLE Em a il 5. NICHOLSON [email protected] 6. METUNG 7. LAKES ENTRANCE 8. LAKE TYERS 9. BRUTHEN 10. BUCHAN 11. NOWA NOWA 12. MARLO Leaden Flycatcher – John Hutchison 13. OMEO 14. MALLACOOTA Bird watc h ing aro u nd O me o 5. Mt Kosciusko Lookout A good place for a cuppa at the picnic tables and Omeo is recovering from the 2003 Bushfires. a spectacular view on a clear day. Honeyeater Extensive areas were burnt and the once and White-throated Treecreeper are still to be plentiful birdlife is now returning. seen here after the bushfires. 1. Omeo 6. Oriental Claims From the bottom of Creek Street, near the An information sheet with maps of the walks is swimming hole is a park with picnic facilities available from the Parks Office in Omeo. and toilets. The Livingstone Creek Walking As you enter the area there is a Management Track can be accessed here. You can walk to Vehicles Only sign on your left. A walk up this Bloomfield Gully a great little place for birding, track could provide Yellow-faced; Crescent; New then continue on to the Oriental Claims if Holland and White-eared Honeyeater. feeling energetic. (Bloomfield Gully can also be As well as the tracks mentioned on the sheet the accessed by road along Bazeley St – on the best walk for seeing birds is along Dry Gully right, just 1 km out of Omeo on the Creek (not on the sheet) - there is a path which main road heading towards Mt Hotham). continues on beside the dry gully, when the Restless Flycatcher, Yellow-faced Honeyeater Pioneer Loop Track goes off to the left. The track and Superb Fairy-wren can be found along the crosses the creek three times and if it is in flood creek. it is not passable. Superb Lyrebird, Eastern Yellow Robin, White-throated Treecreeper and The Omeo Caravan and Camping Park is a 3. Upper Livingstone Striated and Yellow-rumped Thornbill can be lovely place to camp. It has great shade trees The Upper Livingstone Road starts off from the seen. and the Livingstone Creek forms one of its Cassilis Road on the south side of the Livingstone boundaries. A variety of Whistler, Flycatcher, Creek. It is a dry dirt road and often corrugated. 7. Boiler Corner the Eastern Yellow Robin, White-naped and The road side trees provide ample habitat Twenty-two (22) km along the Omeo Highway Yellow- faced Honeyeater and Gang-gang for birds, as too do the tree hollows. A good towards Mitta Mitta is a hair-pin bend with an old Cockatoo frequent the park. variety of birds can be seen : Honeyeater, boiler on the left hand side of the road. There is a Whistler, Flycatcher, Fantail and Willie Wagtail, pull off area for cars and then a track leading into 2. Cassilis Bronzewing and Robin. You can travel along this the bush. Once again this area was badly burnt in A drive out to Cassilis will provide the road as far as time permits before returning to the bushfires and then ravaged by flood as opportunity for numerous birds. It is best to Omeo – the road will eventually lead to Dargo. evidenced by sand underfoot that has been drive towards Cassilis from Omeo as parking on washed down by the floodwaters. A variety of the side of the road is easier and safer – 4. Lyrebird Hill birds were once found here and hopefully they numerous banks and drains make parking Return to the Omeo / Mt Hotham Road and travel will return. difficult on the side coming from Swifts Creek. towards Mt Hotham for 7.6 km (from the Cassilis The following distances (from Omeo Post Office) Rd turn off). Pull off to the right and there is a 8. Anglers Rest mark stopping places beside the road for good place to park your car and then a track Camping area near the historic “Blue Duck” hotel birding. leading up a hill. This area was badly burnt, but beside the Cobungra River. 15.4 km – Dam in paddock on left, old diggings before the fires Lyrebirds were to be heard and 16.3 km – road side hopefully seen. Wattlebird, Black-faced Cuckoo- 16.7 km – dam on left shrike and Rosella may still be in the area. The White-winged Chough, Grey Fantail, Azure latest news of the area is that the Lyrebird have Information prepared by Nancy Taylor, 2004 Kingfisher, Dusky Woodswallow, Noisy Friarbird, returned. Updated June 2012 Restless Flycatcher are a few of the birds to be seen. .