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Visited: summer
Recommendation: Set in the heart of Benalla are informal botanic gardens that are very pleasant to walk through. You might not have this as a wildlife destintation but if you are in the area, they are certainly worth a visit.
Benalla Botanic Gardens are a lovely place, just over the bridge from the main shopping area. Set alongside a lake, there are a variety of trees and plants but also sports parks and a playground. It is very well laid out and there is a nice walk alongside the lake and into the gardens.
I walked here each morning at dawn during my stay in the town and every day I am amazed at the bird activity. Pied Currawong call and Australian King Parrot fly overhead and in the distance I can hear cackling. And that is just the start. The gardens are home to hundreds of cockatoo. They are mainly Little Corella but there are also Long-billed Corella and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. And at dawn, they tear around the place shrieking. It is marvellous!
Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)
Corellas are a group of medium-sized white cockatoos belonging to the subgenus Licmetis within the genus Cacatua. There are six species of corellas, three of which are primarily found in Australia, while the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Solomons each have an endemic species. They are relatively small cockatoos compared to other Cacatua species.
They are mostly white with pale bills, unlike the other Cacatua cockatoos which typically have dark bills. While most show yellow-tinged underwings and some red to the face, none have conspicuously coloured crests. Corellas are highly social birds and form large flocks, especially along watercourses and where seeding grasses are found. They are known to be quite intelligent and playful birds.
In Australia, we have the Little, Long-billed and the Western Corella, found only in south-west Western Australia.
Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)
Further along the path around the lake are some grassy areas and very tall gum trees. On the other side are reeds lining the edge of the lake. For the first time in Victoria, I heard, looked for and found some Blue-faced Honeyeater. It seems fitting that they were here as they are also full of character, even in a still photograph.
The Blue-faced Honeyeater is found in northern and eastern mainland Australia, ranging from the Kimberley region, Western Australia to near Adelaide, South Australia. They are more common in the north of their range and are not found in central southern New South Wales or eastern Victoria. Their habitat also extends to southern New Guinea.
Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)
Then behind me, I hear the call of the Australian Reed Warbler. It used to be known as the Clamorous Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus). However, taxonomic research led to them being classified as separate species.
The name Clamorous Reed Warbler seems more appropriate given the amount of noise they make. I am beginning to see a theme at these gardens. Anyway, I tracked the noise within the reeds and got him peeking out from in between the rushes.
Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis)
On the way back from the gardens I could hear Rainbow Bee-eaters, a bird I wouldn't expect to see in the middle of a town, but there they were sitting on the power lines. I never tire of seeing and photographing these birds.
The days were much the same at Benalla with fairywrens, ducks and cormorants making the gardens their home. It may not be a top 10 birding desination but if you are in town, the gardens are well worth a visit.
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
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