Bass Coast Shire, Mainland the Gurdies Nature Reserve

Home , Bass Coast Shire, Bass Highway (Victoria), Churchill Island, Dalyston, French Island (Victoria), Kilcunda

Bass Coast Shire, Mainland The Gurdies Nature Reserve

to Melbourne S Cardinia 1 O U 1 T Shire GURD H Pioneer IES - ST This reserve protects one of the few significant Western Bay H E Port L I E Y Quarry R RD remnants of coastal woodland on Western Port. W H B Jam Jerrup A S S The Gurdies There is a small wayside stop opposite Pioneer Bay on S A S B Nature GIP Conservation the Bass Highway. Another access point is via PSL AND Reserve Dunbabbin Road, off Stuart’s Road. There is a good

French Island H W Grantville D UN parking area with magnificent views over Western Port. BA Y B B H R I RD W D N Near the top of the main trail a side track to the north Y R IE G The L U E 2 leads to a gully where Bassian Thrush, Rufous Fantail and H D R ST. R Pier D Gurdies Boat Ramp I E S- er Eastern Whipbirds can be found. S Pioneer Bay T v S . H - i M A R Western Port E R Y 1 L O T I Y H E R N Woodleigh E D RD U N B W A T O R B R O Other birds seen in The Gurdies Nature D B A D . Grantville IN LEIGH-ST HELIER R W D Western Port E D GU Tenby T R ST Y RD GR S Kernot Reserve include parrots, thornbills, robins, AN T T 2 Point V FF S Y IL O T N L N W E O GUY - U treecreepers, sittellas and honeyeaters. H S RD S E S H T TH E A I Queensferry N KERN Corinella L OT M CO E Y RIN LOC A E H J LLA R - O’C CORINELLA Raptors can be seen overhead and D Krowera ONNOR RD D RD Bass Corinella RD R Grantville D D R A Nature Powerful Owls have also been L Coronet YS Almurta TO Conservation N- 9 M GL Reserve G I Bay Glen EN LE G O sighted. An added bonus for F N G OR AV A U S BE L H S IE NT T Forbes R O H S D W

R plant enthusiasts is the wide A O A F B G

A D Candowie R variety of orchids flowering R D - H D C Rufous Fantail SO Reservoir LO LDIE A P RS er LY G RD iv S L O throughout much of the year. R T E EDEN O N W N L A E D -G L Bass L RD V T R EN I T FORBES RD Glen E H

AT Alvie BASS R G R RD c Corinella Foreshore Reserve RD Ryanston Bass Strait D s M s TR D a EW R R B W D OOLA MAI R D S M I E GG I B 2 A D L R H R L T O N Lance Creek to Phillip Island F O to Korumburra N W E Reservoir - Cars may be left at either end of this 3-4 km walk, at Woolamai L D G R H KONGW L C AK D

PH IL IP I R IS O

LA D A N L O’Connor Road or Jamieson Street. Alternatively

RD Anderson M Kongwak D

A R L D R B O San ass D O starting at the jetty carpark allows the walk to be done B Archies R W E I -

A L K Outtrim South

Remo L S Creek V

L A A in two shorter sections. The northern section, from the S - Lance U W W N O N ES B T NT E W Gippsland

O CRE H I D E G N K AG L Creek C T

R R RD o G G a S U

I rotunda to Jamieson Street, leads to a regenerating s Y t T L N G Shire Kilcunda A G O

D Dalyston A er K H iv heathland. Beach and seabirds roost and feed among the

T R Wattle M Ra N O il O Bank to Leongatha U W T - mangroves, while small scrub birds are returning to the H H P W H RD O ow C ES F lett O NN Y L - LY P A O T R heathland. LEGEND W r R Y L a West W 9 E il U T H T B Creek R South D M U r 10 Bird Watching Locations Dudley R - C KO H To reach the southern section, walk or drive along the C

10 WONTHAGGI O SS Parking L BA road past the caravan park to Settlement Point, then R Bass Strait T BASS w E e Main Road / Highway S r c V N to Tarwin follow the track along the southern coast on the high S O

N R HWY IN R I V Lower E E LO Local Road M CH D A -VENU R cliffs. The track passes through a variety of habitats, C S BAY Wonthaggi Heathland INVERLOCH 11 Central Access Track & C including low coastal scrub, native grassland, she-oak A R Coastal Reserve P D E Tracks CH Anderson dominated coastal woodland and, finally, a substantial P Harmers O A L Cape Liptrap Inlet Haven T R Reserve / Public Land E E stand of Coastal Banksias at O’Connor Road. R R V Coastal D S N O I Park - N Cape Liptrap (The walk can be extended to Coronet Bay). The bird Urban Areas ON Venus AP RS Cape C E PATE Bay list includes a variety of bush and scrub birds. An 0 2 4 Paterson Coastal Park kilometres occasional sea eagle may be seen. 3 Fisher’s Wetland 5 McIllraith Rd / Rhyll Inlet 9 Mouth of the Powlett River Two wetlands adjoin the road to Churchill Island. Access this spot from the intersection of Situated on the Bass Highway between Fisher’s Wetland is on the left side of the road. Cowes-Rhyll Road and Rhyll-Newhaven Road. Take the Kilcunda and Wonthaggi, this is an excellent It is a large wetland, which dries out, leaving a few road heading north from this intersection and follow site with a range of habitats. Ocean beaches deep holes with permanent water during prolonged the first dirt road on the left (McIllraith Road). Park at (Hooded Plovers), river flood plains dry seasons. the end of the road and look over the entrance of (Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Parrots) Rhyll Inlet. At high tide the sand pit and rocks are and banksia groves (honeyeaters and thornbills) Three tracks leave the carpark. One skirts the popular wader roosts and in summer a range of offer a range of interesting birds. north-eastern edge of Fisher’s Wetland on a international waders can be seen. A telescope or good White-eared Honeyeater boardwalk and continues into bushland. binoculars will be useful here. The second crosses the road and leads to the Oswin Roberts Reserve bridge via a boardwalk beside a saltmarsh. Follow the track to the west for an interesting 6 A third track leaves the bird walk with great scenery. It leads down to a This reserve on Harbison Road, bought by northern end of the boardwalk among the mangroves and rejoins Florence Oswin Roberts in the 1930s to protect the carpark leading to a the track to Conservation Hill koala habitat, is the largest accessible bushland left on birdhide overlooking the carpark and a lookout Phillip Island. Several tracks lead western side of the overlooking through the reserve. wetland and on to the Rhyll Wetland, a Birds often seen Cape end of Churchill Road large nesting site for include a variety of honeyeaters, Eastern Barren through saltmarsh ibis in a wet spring season. Curlew parrots, thornbills, pardalotes, Silvereye Goose beside Swan Bay. silvereyes and other bush birds. 4 Cape Woolamai Peninsula Bass Coast Shire, Phillip Island 46 Bird Watching Locations COW RD Silverleaves Rhyll Inlet 10 ES-RHYLL COWES Marsh Parking in the southern carpark of the surf beach RD SETTLEMENT Ar 5 ea allows easy access to a number of walking tracks on Ventnor Bird Hide COWES- RD RD RHYLL M

P C D P c Parking Y the peninsula. Hooded Plovers are often seen on R O

I H Rhyll R D L N G

A R L

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R V M

L the ocean beaches and the walk to the headland A N AI

I Main Road / Highway R H L A D E

N T W I V

Y E A H V P N E S H often rewards birdwatchers with views of a range of R 6 - N W Local Road L T Wimbledon D L N E R Y N O Heights D ID ST raptors, including White-bellied Sea-Eagle. H R RE R SON RD HARBISON RD BEACH RD HARBI 5 Tracks

B I R G

E S

A A L Phillip Island

C P R C A McFEES RD K Sunset H Churchill O N - Nature Park (PINP) Keep a lookout for albatross and other pelagic birds, Strip D L N BACK BEACH RD L Island T Y Urban Areas N H

R especially in winter. At dusk, from September to E R Western Port V D Smiths 0 1000 2000

7 R April, vast flocks of Summerland D Beach Peninsula 3 metres Penguin WATTS RD R Short-tailed Shearwaters D Sunderland D Parade R Newhaven LEGEND can be seen returning to their 8 Bay H W P I I LLIP SLAND rookeries on the clifftops O RD 7 Churchill Island 3 O L

M San Remo D R Cape A Swan I

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Screw Creek, Inverloch 11 Threats to birds include: predation by domestic Screw Creek walking track is at the eastern end of dogs, cats and foxes, development and land clearance Bass Coast Shire The Esplanade. An excellent walking track leading into bird habitat, drainage and salination of wetlands, through the camping area and across the creek grazing and trampling of wetland and takes you up to the Bluff where there are very good stream/river verges by stock/humans, views across the inlet toVenus Bay and Point Smythe. trampling/disturbance of nests and nesting birds by Any number of small bush birds, gulls, egrets, humans and their dogs especially on beaches and White-faced Herons, honeyeaters and the ingestion of fishing tackle and bait bags by birds. occasional raptor can be seen. Help reduce these threats by keeping cats indoors, Just across the bridge, to the right of the especially at night, walking dogs on leash at all times walking track, is a swash way where it is and heeding signs indicating threats to wildlife. Bird possible to catch sight of an emu-wren or Orange-bellied Parrot Warning! in the right season. Please remember that snakes and other hazards are a vital part of any bird habitat If you take the walk along the and that care should always be taken when Trails creek bank you also have the venturing into their territory. opportunity to see grebes, Golden-headed Cisticola ducks and other waterfowl. Contacts Bird Observation and Conservation Australia (BOCA) Telephone:(03) 9877 5342 / 1300 305 342 Bass Coast Shire, Inverloch Postal Address: PO Box 185, Nunawading VIC 3131 Website: www.birdobservers.org.au 10 Bird Watching Locations to Wonthaggi Parking Bass Coast Shire Council -Visitor Services IN VERLOC H-VENU Main Road / Highway S BAY RD (manages visitor information centres in Bass Coast Shire)

T S M EANDERR Postal Address: PO Box 118, Wonthaggi VIC 3995 I O Local Road L D F O Telephone:1300 366 422 R D Tracks D R [email protected] Reserve / Public Land www.basscoast.vic.gov.au / www.visitbasscoast.com GV HEATHER 0 200 400

metres Acknowledgements S R D S Hooded Plover I MEA Western Port Bird Observers Club (WESBOC) Telephone:(03) 5956 9401 R ND ER T R T Penguin Group (Australia) I S LEGEND U crew BookTitle: Field Guide to the Birds of Australia, 7th edition C D R Authors: Ken Simpson and Nicolas Day with PeterTrusler L k k Illustrations: 43, 59, 75, 125, 117, 279, 173, 85, 99, 255, 115, 203, 237 and 269. IN Cree e D e C S EY CL r Reproduced with permission by Penguin Group (Australia) Responsible birdwatching should always be done U

C T Product Design: Karl Cao T

I with the welfare of the birds in mind. Try not to S

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S e disturb their feeding, resting or roosting by watching r

T 11

c S In from a distance. Keep interference to a minimum and verloch Caravan Park encourage others to do the same. Keep to defined tracks and roads. Respect the rights of landowners and Original cartographic data supplied by Bass Coast Shire Council 2009, for all maps depicted on this product, particular attention has been taken to ensure accuracy of publication. other birdwatchers. Never disturb habitat or approach Bass Coast Shire Council and publishers DO NOT accept responsibility of any errors / omissions. Anderson Inlet The Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve data supplied by ParksVictoria. too close to achieve a better view or photograph.