As I pen this month’s article, we are in the middle of a beautiful patch of autumn weather. However, I feel that by the time you are reading this, my dear readers, the weather shall have turned somewhat for the worse. Plummeting temperatures, wind, rain, and who knows what vile weather will be upon us. Turn on the heater, put your feet up and do indoor stuff. Forget birdwatching, there ain’t much happenin’ out there in that department. Right? No, wrong!

In the bird world, things don’t get bad or worse; they simply change. For Melbourne’s many birdwatchers, things seem to be increasing at a rate of knots. Every man and his dog is getting on board. Sure, the migratory waders have all left us for the Northern Hemisphere, but many overwinter. Yeah, but all the breeding migrants to south-eastern Australia have gone. The cuckoo’s, the songlarks, the sacred kingfishers, I could bang on with heaps more, but yep, they’re all gone and won’t be back until spring.

So what am I going on about then? If birdwatching is shut down over winter, why the fuss?

Let me tell you. The owl’s, particularly the sooty and powerful owl’s, are coming onto their breeding season. Get out into our forests at night-time and you’re a good chance of seeing one. If you happen to know of a birdwatching tour operator who does nocturnal spotlight tours, get in touch with them. Trumpet blaring loudly in the background!

Altitudinal migration from the alpine areas down to the lower elevations also occurs in the winter months. This means more currawongs, both pied and grey, more gang-gang cockatoos, more king parrots, and, from what I’m seeing, evidence that at my place already.

But that doesn’t stop there, it does go on, and for the better, believe me! The critically endangered orange-bellied parrot and the blue-winged parrot are both now present at the Western Treatment Plant, so if you know of a good bird tour operator, jump on board and do a tour with them. I’m reaching for my trumpet again as we speak.

The jewel in the crown, of course, especially for overseas birdwatchers, is the superb lyrebird, as winter is the season they are most active. Loud mimicry, dancing displays, and the males throwing caution to the wind in their quest for females to mate with. (Don’t you dare go there, I’m sitting here stonewalling it, suggest you do the same.)

And that is exactly what the males do, mate with many females and take no part in raising the young. Sexist, misogynistic, chauvinist pigs, probably fascists too. Boooo, down with male superb lyrebirds, lady lyrebirds join the Me Too movement!

And last but not least, our “red-breasted” robin species are also more active and abundant during winter. Pink robin, rose robin, scarlet robin, flame robin, eastern yellow robin, and, if you’re extremely lucky, red-capped robin.

Throw aside the winter chills, ladies and gents. Embrace the cold. Don’t be a “sit by the fire” type. Rug up with gloves, jacket, scarf and binoculars, and get out there!