Birds and their many, varied songs and plumages inspire wonder and delight – you can learn about your local feathered friends at a guided walk through Bald Hill Reserve with Macedon Ranges biodiversity officer, Tanya Loos.
The tour, happening 3pm to 5pm on Sunday, September 25, will focus on woodland birds leading up to council’s annual Bird Blitz in October – just remember to bring your binoculars.
“The woodland bird walk in Bald Hill and surrounds is presented in association with The Friends of Bald Hill Reserve… I have a strong background in bird monitoring and I love teaching beginners,” Ms Loos said.
“Getting to know the birds around you brings so much joy because you can watch their activities, which change throughout the year.
“Part of the excitement of a spring walk is that we get to see the summer migrants that come down from up north, like the sacred kingfisher.”
The sacred kingfisher is blue-green to even turquoise, with white on its underside, a cute collar and a black mask – magical to see in the wild and especially down south.
The October Bird Blitz will be its fourth iteration, and after going online during the pandemic, is set to be an exciting twitching event in-person again.
According to Macedon Ranges council, the region is home to more than 227 species of birds, with 18 per cent of them considered threatened with extinction.
Ms Loos will also be teaching a bit about bird calls on the Bald Hill Reserve walk too.
“If your child is already bird mad with binoculars, bring them along,” she said.
Elsie Lange
