Nature lovers have been out discovering unique birdlife living in parks and reserves along the Dandenong Creek corridor this week at Backyard Bird Discovery Walks.

Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams joined a Birdlife Australia expert and community members to explore their local reserve and discover the fascinating birds that live there.

Participants learned how to create a bird-friendly habitat in their own backyards and received training on how to participate in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count later in October 2018.

The Aussie Backyard Bird Count is the nation’s biggest annual citizen science event, run annually during National Bird Week – 22-28 October.

The program helps Australians connect with their local birdlife by using an app to identify and record the birds they see and provides scientists with an amazing amount of data to ‘take the pulse’ of how our feathered friends are faring across the country.

The number one bird sighted in Melbourne’s south-east during the 2017 count was the Rainbow Lorikeet, with over 40 per cent of citizen scientists sighting them.

The Backyard Bird Discovery Walks are a partnership between the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, local councils, friends of groups, Parks Victoria and Birdlife Australia.

These initiatives are funded through the Living Links program with support from the Andrews Labor Government’s Our Catchments, Our Communities initiative.

Living Links is currently delivering a $1 million Labor Government funded project to enhance and connect green spaces at 38 priority sites along a 22km section of the Dandenong Creek corridor.

Living Links’ broader vision is to create a web of green spaces across Melbourne’s south-east to connect nature, and to help residents enjoy and connect with nature.

More information and bookings at livinglinks.com.au/birdwalks.