You Yangs Regional Park

Visited: summer

Recommendation: I found this to be a great place to see lots of smaller bush birds. Thornbill, honeyeater and even Speckled Warbler were here in numbers.

The You Yangs Park gets its name from the Aboriginal word "Wurdi Youang" or "Ude Youang" spoken by the Wathaurung people who inhabited the area for thousands of years. A possible interpretation is "Big mountain in the middle of a plain". This meaning reflects the park's prominent geographical feature. The You Yangs mountain range rises abruptly from the surrounding flat plains, making it a landmark easily visible from a distance.

The park is north of Serendip Sanctuary and I went there looking for my 500th bird species of 2022. It was New Year's Eve so really my last chance. The park is on a slope and the view back down to the south coast of Victoria was breathtaking, particularly in the early morning light. As I arrived, there was a large, male kangaroo grazing next to the car park. He was so big, I actually thought for a second he was a cow! I cannot get over being able to get so close to these huge animals.

Around the car park were areas to picnic and a track leading to a lookout. I could already hear people screaming and yelling down there so I headed up the hill. Crimson and Eastern Rosellas were zipping around with their distinctive pinging calls.

My first find were some thornbill chattering away. I was hoping to see the Buff-rumped as that would count for number 500 but there was no sign. I saw Brown, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Thornbill here, although they were difficult to photograph.

Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana)

Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa)

Sitting high up were a few New Holland Honeyeaters. They are very common throughout this whole area but you can't get bored of their bright eyes and striking plumage.

The New Holland Honeyeater's distinctive black and white feathers with a flash of yellow on the wings and tail make them stand out. The females are even slightly smaller than the males.

These birds don't just chirp and sing. They have a complex communication system that includes loud "chiks," softer "pseets," and chattering notes.

New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)

I found a spot near the track where there was a lot of activity. A family of Scarlet Robins zoomed about, squabbling furiously, the rosellas called from high up and Silvereye sang away from the foliage. I was moving around all the time, trying to pin down what I was seeing. I was moving from dark leaves to bright sky and after a while it was all a bit blurry. Then I saw something land and as I moved my lens towards it, I just knew I had hit the jackpot. Not a great photo - I only had one viable out of 10 I snapped. There were 3 of these very shy birds and after stopping for about 10 seconds, they disappeared and I didn't see them again.

Not to worry - I had my 500th. And best of all, it was the rather rare Speckled Warbler. Fantastic.

Speckled Warbler (Pyrrholaemus sagittatus)