The Birds

Birds

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Adult Male Turquoise Parrot at Kurringai Cottage photography by Simon Starr

This two-acre native garden with many low, dense or prickly shrubs has an impressive array of birds.  The late owner of this property, Jill Rossiter kept recordings and observations of the 120 birds sited on or over the property in the more than 30 years she lived here.

These notes and observations are still hand-written in hard copy but regular guests Leonie and Trevor Robbins have compiled a bird list that we are using for this site. Other guests have added their own daily observations in the Kurringai Cottage diary.

Though Jill was a field naturalist in her latter years she was also an avid bird watcher and observer. She had travelled to far places with others to record species for the RAOU Atlas of Australian Birds. She and her cousin Doreen Nason also hosted ornithologists and many bird observer friends — to take photos and further their knowledge and observations.

Without much effort, guests can fill up the bird baths, sit on the verandah then listen and watch. They will observe a variety of parrots, honeyeaters and bush birds — the most frequent being the superb blue wren. And depending on the time of the year flocks of Turquoise Parrots visit the garden to eat the grass seeds.

For more information see Conserving the Turquoise Parrot in the Warbys

Eastern Spinebill. Photograph by  Mike Gage at Kurringai Cottage.

Kurringai Cottage Bird Watching

Without moving into your car further observations can be made by walking along the quiet rural lane towards Glenrowan or walking through the gate into the Warby-Ovens National Park.

The attached list identifies 95 bird species (by month) sighted in or from the Kurringai Cottage Garden by skilled  guests Leonie and Trevor Robbins (from May 1998 to March 2006). Trevor and Leonie generously provide their records to share with and inspire other visitors.

Other suggested birdwatching spots include Brien’s Gorge, the adjacent Jubilee Golf Club, Sunrise Track and Dell’Oro Road, Lake Mokoan, Killawarra Forest, Wenham’s Camping Area and Horseshoe Lagoon (Ovens River).