Hillview Court Reserve
This area is a real ‘treasure’ and little-visited by the public, drive past the Crown Hotel and school in Dayboro then turn left off McKenzie St by the cemetery into Riverview Court, take the second road to the left into Hillview Court and park at the cul-de-sac. The track to the reserve has a barrier between two large rocks and is usually accessible only on foot, it is a gentle-climb from the entrance to the ‘hill’….but the return is somewhat steeper, so bring plenty of ‘stamina’.
The area has been extensively re-planted with suitable local rainforest trees and there is an interesting grassy swamp in the centre, I’ve heard Lewin’s Rail, Pale-vented Bush-hen and Spotless Crake calling-strongly here but have (typically) seen none yet! (…to date)
There is a rough-track circuiting the park, which is used by horse-riders, unfortunately this is sometimes difficult to cross in places after heavy rain but usually you can wander close to the eastern bank of the North Pine River. Currently this ‘heavily-wooded’ area has a lot of ‘introduced-pest’ plants (such as cobblers-pegs, and exotic-vines) but is home to a few difficult species such as White-eared and Spectacled Monarch, Emerald and Rose-crowned Fruit-dove and occasionally Barred Cuckoo-shrike. Pale-vented Bush-hen can be heard calling in summer (I even saw one briefly in 2016)
Since my return from Melbourne in July 2016 I have personally recorded 139 species here and Ebird lists (as a birding ‘hotspot’) 144 .
Waterfowl
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- Black Swan Cygnus atratus
- Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata
- Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Megapodes
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- Australian Brushturkey Alectura lathami
Grouse, Quail, and Allies
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- Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophorus
Cormorants and Anhingas
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- Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos
- Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
- Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
- Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae
Pelicans
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- Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus
Herons, Ibis, and Allies
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- White-necked Heron
- Great Egret
- White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
- Little Egret Egretta garzetta
- Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
- Australian White Ibis Threskiornis moluccus
- Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
- Royal Spoonbill
Vultures, Hawks, and Allies
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- Osprey Pandion haliaetus
- Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata
- Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides
- Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax
- Grey Goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae
- Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus
- Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus
- Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
- White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
Rails, Gallinules, and Allies
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- Lewin’s Rail Lewinia pectoralis
- Pale-vented Bush-hen Amaurornis moluccana
- Spotless Crake Zapornia tabuensis
- Australasian Swamphen Porphyrio melanotus
- Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa
Shorebirds
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- Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius
- Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles
- Black-fronted Dotterel
Pigeons and Doves
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- White-headed Pigeon Columba leucomela
- Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
- Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Australian) Macropygia phasianella
- Pacific Emerald Dove Chalcophaps longirostris
- Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera
- Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes
- Wonga Pigeon Leucosarcia melanoleuca
- Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida
- Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis
- Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus regina
- Topknot Pigeon Lopholaimus antarcticus
Cuckoos
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- Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus
- Pacific Koel Eudynamys orientalis
- Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae
- Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx basalis
- Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx lucidus
- Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
- Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus
Owls
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- Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae
Swifts
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- White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
Kingfishers
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- Azure Kingfisher Ceyx azureus
- Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
- Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii
- Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus
Bee-eaters, Rollers, and Allies
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- Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus
- Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
Falcons and Caracaras
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- Brown Falcon Falco berigora
- Australian Hobby
- Peregrine Falcon
Cockatoos
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- Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus funereus
- Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
- Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea
- Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
Parrots, Parakeets, and Allies
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- Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis
- Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus
- Little Lorikeet Glossopsitta pusilla
- Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus
- Scaly-breasted Lorikeet Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus
Australian Treecreepers
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- White-throated Treecreeper Cormobates leucophaea
Fairywrens
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- Variegated Fairywren Malurus lamberti
- Superb Fairywren Malurus cyaneus
- Red-backed Fairywren Malurus melanocephalus
Honeyeaters
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- Lewin’s Honeyeater Meliphaga lewinii
- Yellow-faced Honeyeater Caligavis chrysops
- Bell Miner Manorina melanophrys
- Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala
- Little Wattlebird Anthochaera chrysoptera
- Scarlet Honeyeater Myzomela sanguinolenta
- Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta
- Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis
- White-throated Honeyeater Melithreptus albogularis
- White-naped Honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus
- Striped Honeyeater Plectorhyncha lanceolata
- Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis
- Noisy Friarbird Philemon corniculatus
Pardalotes
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- Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus
- Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus
Thornbills and Allies
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- White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis
- Large-billed Scrubwren Sericornis magnirostra
- Brown Thornbill Acanthiza pusilla
- White-throated Gerygone Gerygone olivacea
Whipbirds and Wedgebills
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- Eastern Whipbird Psophodes olivaceus
Woodswallows
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- White-breasted Woodswallow
- Dusky Woodswallow
Bellmagpies and Allies
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- Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus
- Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis
- Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
- Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
Cuckooshrikes
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- Barred Cuckooshrike Coracina lineata
- Black-faced Cuckooshrike Coracina novaehollandiae
- White-bellied Cuckooshrike Coracina papuensis
- White-winged Triller Lalage tricolor
- Varied Triller Lalage leucomela
- Common Cicadabird Edolisoma tenuirostre
Sittellas
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- Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera
Whistlers and Allies
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- Little Shrikethrush Colluricincla megarhyncha
- Grey Shrikethrush Colluricincla harmonica
- Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis
- Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris
Old World Orioles
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- Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
- Australasian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti
Drongos
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- Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus
Fantails
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- Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
- Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons
- Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
Monarch Flycatchers
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- White-eared Monarch Carterornis leucotis
- Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis
- Spectacled Monarch Symposiachrus trivirgatus
- Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
- Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula
Jays, Magpies, Crows, and Ravens
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- Torresian Crow Corvus orru
Australasian Robins
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- Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans
- Red-capped Robin
- Rose Robin Petroica rosea
- Eastern Yellow Robin Eopsaltria australis
Martins and Swallows
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- Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
- Fairy Martin
Reed-warblers
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- Australian Reed Warbler
Grassbirds and Allies
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- Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus
- Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis
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Cisticolas and Allies
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- Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis
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White-eyes, Yuhinas, and Allies
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- Silvereye Zosterops lateralis
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Flowerpeckers
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- Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum
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Estrildids
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- Red-browed Finch Neochmia temporalis
- Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii
- Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Lonchura castaneothorax