Location:  Viewbank: Melways Map 32 Grids E2, E3, F2, F3, G2 & G3

Access:  Somerset Drive (Grid F2)

Facilities:  Parking; partial wheelchair access; nearest public toilets open during daylight hours are at Heidelberg Park, off Burgundy Street (Map 32 Grid B4).

Habitat:  Flood plain of the Yarra River with remnant bush, parkland and wetlands, adjoining the Yarra River.

Map: Refer to Melways Map 32 or click Banyule Flats mudmap    [pdf]                    

Other Information:  For more than ten years BirdLife Melbourne, on behalf of the Banyule City Council, has led an early Sunday morning bird walk at Banyule Flats Reserve in late October to observe some of the birds.  The participants are broken up into small groups, each group led by an experienced birdwatcher, who assist the not so experienced with their identification.  After the walk, all participants enjoy a light breakfast provided by Banyule City Council.

For more information about the next Breakfast with the Birds, click here Bookings are essential as numbers are limited.

BOCA Centenary Plantation:  On 1 May 2005, as part of BOCA’s Centenary Celebrations, approximately 150 BirdLife Melbourne Members planted nearly 600 trees at Banyule Flats Reserve. Tubestock for the indigenous trees – River Red Gum, Swamp Gum, Silver Wattle, Blackwood, Sweet Bursaria and Prickly Currant Bush, was generously supplied by Banyule City Council.  Trees were planted either in the member’s name, in memory of a family member, for a grandchild or to commemorate a past BOCA function.  Thirty seven trees were planted for past and living Honorary Life Members of BOCA.  All trees were labelled with personalised name tags.

The project was planned and managed by Celia Browne, ably assisted by her husband Dorey.  On the day, Council Staff and Venturer Scouts assisted with the planting.  After the planting, local identity and long-time BOCA Member, Reg Johnson OAM, declared the Centenary Plantation open by sweeping aside a covering of eucalypt leaves to reveal a commemorative plaque.

When at Banyule, check out the commemorative plaque and the trees.  The trees have grown well and now provide a valuable corridor for the birds.  The plantation is south west of the ‘Wetlands’ and the plaque is at the south west end of the plantation.  Refer to the linked mud map for the location.

Typical Common Birds include:  

Black Swan; Australian Wood Duck; Grey Teal; Chestnut Teal; Pacific Black Duck; Australasian Grebe; Rock Dove; Spotted Dove; Common Bronzewing; Tawny Frogmouth; Little Pied Cormorant; Little Black Cormorant; Cattle Egret; White-faced Heron; Purple Swamphen; Buff-banded Rail; Dusky Moorhen; Eurasian Coot; Black-winged Stilt; Black-fronted Dotterel; Masked Lapwing; Latham’s Snipe; Galah; Sulphur-crested Cockatoo; Rainbow Lorikeet; Musk Lorikeet; Crimson Rosella; Eastern Rosella; Red-rumped Parrot; Shining Bronze-Cuckoo; Fan-tailed Cuckoo; Laughing Kookaburra; Sacred Kingfisher; Superb Fairy-wren; White-browed Scrubwren; Yellow Thornbill; Brown Thornbill; Spotted Pardalote; Striated Pardalote; Eastern Spinebill; White-plumed Honeyeater; Bell Miner; Noisy Miner; Red Wattlebird; New Holland Honeyeater; Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike; Crested Shrike-tit; Golden Whistler; Rufous Whistler; Grey Shrike-thrush; Olive-backed Oriole; Grey Butcherbird; Australian Magpie; Pied Currawong; Grey Currawong; Grey Fantail; Willie Wagtail; Little Raven; Magpie-lark; Eastern Yellow Robin; Golden-headed Cisticola: Silvereye; Welcome Swallow; Fairy Martin; Common Blackbird; Common Starling; Common Myna; Mistletoebird; Red-browed Finch; European Goldfinch.

Other Possible Birds include:  

Australian Shelduck; Australasian Shoveler; Hardhead; Hoary-headed Grebe; Crested Pigeon; Australasian Darter; Great Cormorant; Australian Pelican; Eastern Great Egret; Nankeen Night-Heron; Australian White Ibis; Straw-necked Ibis; Yellow-billed Spoonbill; Black-shouldered Kite; Brown Goshawk;  Nankeen Kestrel; Australian Hobby; Silver Gull; Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo; Gang-gang Cockatoo; Long-billed Corella; Scaly-breasted Lorikeet; Powerful Owl; Yellow-rumped Thornbill; Yellow-faced Honeyeater; Little Wattlebird; Scarlet Robin; Flame Robin; Australian Reed-Warbler; Little Grassbird; Tree Martin; Song Thrush; Common Greenfinch.

Outings Bird Lists: For a Bird List of all recent BirdLife Melbourne Outings to this site, click here

An Unusual Sighting:

In October 2001, Gina Hopkins observed an Australian Painted Snipe in the 'Grotty Pool' at Banyule Flats Reserve. The bird was present for some time and was observed by many fortunate birders.

Banyule Flats Wetlands
Photographs by Damian Kelly