Birdwatching at ISBE 2024
We encourage you to take the opportunity to view the local birdlife on guided walks arranged by the Organising Committee or enjoy self-guided walks at your leisure.
Guided walks
Three early morning and an afternoon guided birdwatching walks are on offer. The morning
tours are hosted by Birdlife Australia and the afternoon tour is hosted by Melbourne Water,
each providing guides to share their local knowledge and expertise.
The early morning walks will enable you to be back at the Melbourne Convention and
Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in time for the first session of each day. For a detailed
description of the species and habitats you are likely to encounter at these locations, we
suggest you read the Self-Guided Walks information here.
The afternoon tour on Wednesday departs following the close of sessions and returns late
afternoon. A description of the tour is detailed below.
Spaces are limited for each experience and bookings and payment must be made in advance.
Delegates will be sent information on how to secure a booking.
Information on each walk is detailed below including the location, the time, the cost and if
transport is included or if you need to walk or take public transport. You will be required
to bring your own binoculars on each walk.
Royal Botanic Gardens
Westgate Park
Western Treatment Plant
Royal Park and Trin Warren Tamborre
Self-guided walks
The three self-guided walks can be done at most times of day at your leisure and are
described in detail
here. This includes maps and how to get there, species list,
reporting rates and the recommended route to walk. The locations are accessible by
foot, or a short ride on public transport from central Melbourne, or the MCEC.
The three locations for the self-direct bird watching walks are:
- Botanic Gardens (note the Gardens are open to the public from 0730hrs-1730hrs daily)
- Westgate Park
- Royal Park and Trin Warren Tamborre
Royal Botanic Gardens
Please meet at 0600hrs for a 0615hrs start at the Royal Botanic Gardens outside the National Herbarium of Victoria, corner of Birdwood Ave and Dallas Brookes Drive. You can find directions using Google Maps. Your Birdlife Australia guide will meet you and guide you on the 1.5 hour walk. At 0745hrs a chartered coach has been arranged to return you to the MCEC in time for the first morning session. Special arrangements have been made to open the Gardens specifically for this walk, as it normally opens to the public at 0730hrs.
Date: Monday 30 September
Time: 0600hrs for a 0615hr commencement
Transport: Make your own arrangements to the Gardens & return coach
transfer to the
MCEC is provided
Price: $11 per person inc GST (FULLY BOOKED)
Westgate Park
Please meet at the external entrance of the MCEC (1 Convention Centre Place) at
0550hrs sharp for a 0600hrs coach departure to Westgate Park. The guided walk with
the Birdlife Guide will take approximately 1.5 hours and the coach will then return
you to the MCEC in time for the first session on Tuesday morning.
Date: Tuesday 01 October
Time: 0550hrs for a 0600hr coach departure
Transport: Coach transfer provided to and from Westgate Park
Price: $22 per person inc GST (FULLY BOOKED)
Western Treatment Plant
The Werribee Western Treatment Plant is a waste treatment site operated by Melbourne
Water and is also one of the best places in Australia for birdwatching. Its lagoons
are home to nearly 300 bird species. The sewage treatment facilities occupy a small
fraction of the site, with the remainder including natural and constructed wetlands,
waterways and estuaries, coastal saltmarsh, intertidal flats, native grasslands, and
paddocks. The site is recognised as a wetland of international importance under the
Ramsar Convention.
Date: Wednesday 2 October 2024
Departure time: 1330hrs
Return to Melbourne: 1745hrs
Fee: $55 per person inc GST (FULLY BOOKED)
What to bring: Wear long sleeves and long pants, with closed-in, sturdy
shoes. Bring
a water bottle (no drinking water on site), hat and appropriate gear for weather
(hot, cold, wet or windy). Bring camera and binoculars.
Once the Congress ends at 1300hrs, grab some lunch and snacks from the Food Court
near
the MCEC. The coach will depart at 1330hrs sharp from the main entrance at the MCEC,
1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf
The site is less than 1 hour drive from Melbourne, so the afternoon trip will allow
for 2.5 hours birdwatching, with stops at several different sites with different
habitats.
Royal Park and Trin Warren Tamborre
Meet at the western side of Royal Park at 0610hrs for 0620hrs departure with your
guide.
(The exact location will be shared with you closer to the time). At the completion
of the tour, you will then need to take an uber back to the MCEC or a train back to
Southern Cross Station and then walk to the MCEC which will take around 10-15
minutes to ensure you are back for the first session at 0830hrs
Date: Friday 4 October 2024
Time: 0610hrs for a 0620hrs commencement
Charge: $11 per person inc GST (FULLY BOOKED)
©International Society for Behavioral Ecology Congress 2024