Favourite Birding Spot II- Afton Street Conservation Preserve

This lovely reserve is situated on the banks of the Maribyrnong River along Afton Street in Essendon West. The facts that it is close by to my home and seems to always be turning up good birds make this one of my favourite birding spots. My first sightings of a spotted pardalote and yellow thornbill were both here.
The humble place is not frequented by many birders other than me who I know about. It is like a gem in a field of rocks and is home for some interesting birds that would be lifers for people visiting from Europe who have never been to Australia. It is best birded in the early morning, from 6:30 AM -8:00 AM.
The track starts at the carpark at 'Riverside Park' which is closest to the bridge. At the start of the track, you go near some small lagoons that can turn up Willie wagtails, Pacific black ducks, white-faced herons and lots of welcome swallows. An area near these lagoons has some reeds with it and may be home for the occasional crake or rail, although I haven't seen any there yet. At the second junction in front of the start of the track (you will come to this one as long as you don't go over the bridge at the first junction), turn left if you are interested in the birds. After turning left, you will come to another junction. You may want to stop here and look over the river, as whiskered terns sometimes join silver gulls hawking over the river here. Then turn right. At the small plantation of eucalypts, there are generally spotted pardalotes in the trees. Yellow thornbills may be seen in the 'bushy' areas, along with silveryes. Little pied cormorants, little black cormorants and great cormorants all hunt for fishes in the river. The little pied cormorants are the commonest, followed by the little black. The great cormorants are occasional visitors and a pied cormorant was also once recorded. Once you have passed the pardalote trees, it is generally wise to turn back and look over the area you passed, unless you want to follow the great cormorants (they usually flock in that area, heading further along the river) or (according to the master plan) possibly see 5 species of raptor.

Well, there's an introduction to one of my favourite birding spots, a place that any birding families with children might want to go to, as 'Riverside Park' with a playground is just next door. I think that this place is like a gem in a field of rocks.

Oh, almost forgot to add some photos.

A spotted paradalote, for those who either aren't birders or haven't seen any yet

A little pied cormorant- NOTE- views like this are NOT common at the preserve

A white-faced heron

Whiskered tern with a fish

I have only described the Riverside Walk- another walk goes up onto the ridge in the centre of the preserve, where (from the River Trail)I have seen lots of Australian ravens and some Australian magpies. The lawn-like area near the trail is home for lots of magpies as well . A better list of birds that can be seen there can be obtained from the Preserve's master plan.
Key species include:
. WHISKERED TERN
. PIED CORMORANT
. 5 SPECIES OF RAPTOR ARE SUPPOSED TO INHABIT THE PRESERVE (Whistling kite, Australian hobby, Wedge-tailed eagle, black-shouldered kite, little eagle and white-breasted sea eagle)
. SOME WOULD-BE LIFERS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN TO AUSTRALIA