Hattah-Kulkyne National Park

Visited: winter

Recommendation: This is a wonderful park with many, many wildlife species to see. I loved seeing so many parrots but also all the little bush birds that sang and flitted about.

The name Hattah-Kulkyne National Park combines the names of two significant areas incorporated into the park:

Hattah: This refers to Hattah Lakes, a crucial feature of the park. The origin of the name "Hattah" itself is uncertain, but there's no available information suggesting it has an Aboriginal origin.
Kulkyne: This part of the name comes from the Kulkyne State Forest, which was merged with the Hattah Lakes National Park in 1980 to create the current park boundaries. The origin of "Kulkyne" is also not documented, although it likely has an Aboriginal origin considering many Australian place names do.

Hattah-Kulkyne National Park showcases a unique blend of geographical and geological features. The park lies within Victoria's Mallee country, characterized by extensive low scrub and open native pine woodlands. The land is dominated by poor, sandy soils, well-adapted to the park's semi-arid climate with hot summers.

It is a stunning place to visit. A well placed (but unmanned) Visitor Centre has more information and a ranger station behind it. There are campsites in the park which means you can stay in the thick of the action. I visited in mid-winter and although it was very cold, the days were sunny and bright. Best of all, there were birds everywhere. It was a parrot paradise.

I started at the Visitor Centre, having been told by a fellow birder that the Chestnut-crowned Babbler was present. It took me several hours to find them and they wouldn't sit still enough for a photo but I now have all 4 babbler species ticked off. I did get nice views of the more co-operative White-browed Babbler. Also while I was combing the area, I found whistlers and thornbill. Fairywren, honeyeaters and even a fox were also in the area.

White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus)

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris)

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis)

Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana)

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)

I stayed at both Hattah Lake and Mournpall campsites and they were quiet, beautiful and great places to spot birds. There weren't any other animals around, except for the odd roo. I guess it was just too cold. A butcherbird serenaded me with its comical call and a Hobby sat quietly watching proceedings. A good start to any morning.

Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)

Grey Butcherbird - Cracticus torquatus

Moon rise over Hattah Lake

And so, to the parrots. They were everywhere, particularly once the sun was warming up the ground after cold, heavy dew. First up were the Mallee Ringneck, one of 4 very distinct species of Australian Ringneck Parrots. This species is possibly the most colourful and looks like a mash up of all the other varieties.

Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius barnardi)

Next up were the rosellas. Very difficult to pin down and photograph as they always seemed to be on the wing. If they did try to settle in a tree, the Noisy Miners would soon see them off. On occasion I found them on open grassy areas but as usual, I would flush them before I realised they were there. After several days, and a lot of luck I got them sitting a couple of times.

I have been interested about the variations of the Crimson Rosella. As well as the yellow subspecies, there is the Adelaide Crimson Rosella which varies from red to orange and yellow. These subspecies are still considered the same species because they can interbreed and share many genetic similarities. The yellow colour in the Crimson Rosella subspecies is due to different pigment expression in their feathers. This variation is likely caused by natural selection and adaptation to their environment.

Crimson Rosella (Yellow) - (Platycercus elegans flaveolus)

The parrot I really wanted to see was the Regent Parrot. I have seen them lots of times in Western Australia but never east of the Nullarbor Plain. These eastern parrots are the subspecies found in Victoria, along with parts of New South Wales and South Australia.

Eastern Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides)

As a final treat on a long walk one morning, a female robin with a youngster in tow appeared and at for me. I also saw the striking male later but for me, she won the day with this beautiful plumage in early morning light.

Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii)

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