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Visited: summer
Recommendation: Close to the centre of Ballarat, this is a lovely wetlands with many trails running within it. The environment is suitable for a range of bush birds with great views around the many waterways.
Yuilles Wetland, also known as Redan Wetlands, is a beautiful urban wetland reserve situated in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It's a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, offering a serene environment perfect for walking, running, cycling, and birdwatching. At my second house sit in Ballarat, the wetlands was only 2 minutes away. The car park is next to the ruins of the homestead which dates back to the 1830s. How different the landscape must have been then. It is lovely though, that Ballarat has so many wetland areas and this was no exception. There is a track down a slope towards the water and it is surrounded by trees and lots of low shrubs. Lots of small bush birds, including a large group of chatty European Goldfinch, were shooting about.
A pair of pardalote were busy collecting food and returning to a hidden nest. I watched them for a while and the female landed close to me. While she is more drab than the male, she was still so fascinating as she actively took care of her chicks.
The name "pardalote" comes from the ancient Greek word "pardalōtos," which means "spotted like a leopard." This perfectly reflects the most distinctive feature of these birds - their spotted plumage [spotted pardalote australia].
It's interesting to note that the scientific name for the spotted pardalote is "punctatatus," which also means "spotted" in Latin!
Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus)
A boardwalk tracked across the water and into surrounding bush. Reed warbler and grassbird sang from the reeds around the edge and it was lovely. The track weaved through the bush and back and forward to the water. I walked along one side and there was a dense patch of shrubs, a bit like an English hedge. Underneath it ran a small creek and the birds were coming out and bathing in the water and the hot sun.
A pair of goldfinch sat up and then jumped down into the water. They bathed and preened for some time in the afternoon sun.
The European Goldfinch wasn't lucky enough to hitch a ride to Australia on its own. They were actually introduced deliberately by humans in the 1860s, most likely with multiple releases in various locations.
These introductions seem to have been attempts to establish a familiar bird species in Australia, but many of these early attempts failed. However, the European Goldfinch eventually found success and established a breeding population, particularly in the southern half of the continent.
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Higher up was a Brown Thornbill resting in the sun. I always find it interesting when birds go into this sort of stupor in the sun. It might look like they are in a trance because they're very still with their eyes closed, but they're actually in a relaxed state enjoying the sun's warmth.
Thermoregulation: Many birds are small and lose heat quickly. Sitting in the sun helps them absorb heat and stay warm, especially in cooler mornings.
Preening: Sunbathing can help fluff up feathers and expose oils produced by the preen gland. These oils help waterproof feathers and keep them in good condition.
Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)
A young White-browed Scrubwren peeked out to see what was going on. They have quite variable plumage and a wide range of calls. They all respond to a buzz squeak if you want them to appear.
White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)
Altogether, I have liked these little pockets of nature around Ballarat but have found the variety of species a bit lacking and the photography opportunities not so good. I took some shots of a New Holland Honeyeater with rather fine moustaches and decided it might be time to move on to a new place.
New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
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