Australian Good Birding Guide: Southern & Central Queensland. Ted Wnorowski

Kakadu Beach Wader Roost

      Wader roost is located in the southern part of Solander Bay. It is one of the best known and most accessible wader sites in Queensland. This is an artificial roost site, with two pretty bird hides provided. The Interpretive Shorebird Centre is situated nearby. This site was constructed to compensate for the loss of natural roost sites to development at the mouth of the Dux Creek. Soon after this project was completed, thousands of waders feeding on the Pumicestone Passage mudflats have learned to use this site. This is their preferred location for the highest tide levels. When the tide is below 2m, the birds choose the Toorbul roost.

      To get there, from Bribie Island Rd (85) turn north onto Sunderland Dr and follow this road to the end, getting to the T-junction with Solander Esp. Turn left and drive a short distance to a carpark by the Shorebird Centre at Kakadu Beach. Walk along the canal past the second bird hide as far as the path goes.

      Kakadu Beach wader roost (land strip on the right)

      Thirty wader species have been recorded here, with Bar-tailed Godwits appearing in their thousands. Other regular users include Beach Stone-curlew, Great Knot, Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Sooty Oystercatcher, Pied Stilt, Red-necked Stint, Lesser Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Red-capped Plover and Curlew Sandpiper.

      The list of rarities includes Asian Dowitcher, Sanderling, Double-banded Plover, Banded Plover, Red Knot, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Oriental Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Latham’s Snipe.

      Buff-banded Rails are quite tame here. On one occasion, one made itself available to us for a good photo session, skulking unhurriedly between small shrubs and tussocks of lomandra grass. In the flowering grevilleas along the canal we found White-cheeked Honeyeater, Mangrove Honeyeater, Little Wattlebird and Little Friarbird. A small covey of Brown Quails flushed from the bushes.

      We also explored Solander Esp north of Kakadu Beach, especially at the creek mouth near Col Fisher Park. On the beach, Beach Stone-curlews are sighted regularly; we found three of them resting in front of the mangroves. Little Egret, Striated Heron and Eastern Reef Egret were foraging on the mudflats. Australian Gull-billed Terns, Caspian Terns, Little Terns and Brahminy Kite were flying over the Pumicestone Passage. Tawny Frogmouth had a nest and a roost by the beach in the southern part of Col Fisher Park. The park lawns were covered with Little Corellas and Galahs.

Harbour Promenade, Banksia Beach

      To get there, take Sylvan Beach Esp just after crossing the long bridge, and drive north. Turn right into Marina Blvd, then left into Harbour Promenade and drive north to the end of the road at the mouth of Dux Creek.

      This is a well-known roost of Pacific Golden Plovers. These birds have been using it for several decades, initially at the rough paddock opposite the Marina Office, now mostly on the canal wall as the paddock gave way to canal housing.

      Common Sandpiper returns like a clockwork to the same spot along the wall every summer. Appearing occasionally on this rocky site are Double-banded Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Beach Stone-curlew, Striated Heron and Australasian Pipit.

Buckleys Hole Regional Park

      This small, 88ha Park is probably the best birding area on the Island. Over 190 bird species have been recorded here. It features freshwater lagoons and marine habitats as well as open forest and coastal scrub. A bird hide is located in front of the lagoon. A long sandbar is utilised by the waders and terns at the high tide. The Park is part of the Moreton Bay Ramsar site.

      Access to the Park is via The Boulevard or via Tully Rd (leading to the bird hide). To get there, take Welsby Pde just after crossing the long bridge and drive south to the end of the road. Turn left and negotiate your way to a roundabout where you’ll turn right to McDonald St to get to The Boulevard. For the second entry point, on the roundabout continue on Spowers St, then turn right to Gregory St which will take you to Tully Rd. A track with stairs runs to the bird hide.

      When drying out, the lagoon is good for the rails and crakes, particularly for Spotless Crake, Buff-banded Rail and Lewin’s Rail. A variety of herons and egrets can be found around the water, even Australasian Bittern was recorded a few times. Latham’s Snipes are found regularly around the lagoon. Black Swans, Australasian Grebes and several duck species breed there.

      The spit is very important for the roosting waders, terns and gulls. Thirty wader species have been recorded, with the species composition similar to that of Kakadu Beach, described above. Twelve species of terns and gulls are on the birdlist. Common and Little Terns are here in large numbers, particularly in March-April when getting ready to migrate to the Northern Hemisphere. Lesser Crested Terns are the regulars, you can count on seeing 1-2 birds in a flock of other terns. In bad weather, particularly after cyclones, Sooty Terns and Bridled Terns may appear. This is a place where in 2003 Laughing Gull was recorded. There were also sightings of White-winged Black Tern, Whiskered Tern and Pacific Gull.

      Bar-tailed Godwits, changing into their breeding plumage

      Local bush birds include Brown Quail, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Mangrove Gerygone, Collared Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Eastern Whipbird, Pheasant Coucal and Rainbow Bee-eater.

Bribie Island National Park

      This is a wildlife oasis just waiting to be discovered. This gem of picturesque landscape is nearly devoid of human presence. The Park covers approximately 1/3 of the island, mostly in coastal areas. You’ll find here a wide range of bird habitats including dunes, beaches, heathland, paperbark swamps, creeks, lagoons, open forest and coastal scrub.

      There are three access points to the Park by car:

       On the western side, from Bribie Island Rd (85) turn north onto Sunderland Dr, followed by turning right onto Endeavour Dr then left onto White Patch Esp to continue to the Ranger’s Station at White Patch. This entry is leading to the camping areas at Gallaghers Point and Poverty Creek. The roads will take you to stretches of heathland which are very good for birding.

       On the eastern side, the entry to the beach is from the Eight Ave carpark off North St at Woorim Beach.

       The Park can also be accessed from the Community Arts Centre on Sunderland Dr, from where you get access to the Bicentennial Walks.

      You can only enter the Park in a 4WD vehicle with high clearance and a special car permit, obtained from the Queensland National Parks website here: https://qpws.usedirect.com/qpws/. Hefty fines apply if you take a 2WD car to the Park.

      White Patch

      Particularly good for birding is the area around the Ranger’s house. Australian Owlet-nightjars are resident nearby. Another active hollow was found across the road near the property No 166. Collared Sparrowhawk has a nest near the Ranger’s house. Tawny Frogmouths like to roost in the vicinity of the house. A colony of Rainbow Bee-eater is located nearby, you may observe the birds coming in and out of the holes in the sand banks.

      Oher birds at the White Patch site include Spectacled Monarch, Black-faced Monarch, Crested Shrike-tit, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Golden Whistler, Variegated Fairy-wren and Grey Goshawk. In any fruiting trees you may locate Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves which are regulars here. Look also for Olive-backed Oriole, Topknot Pigeon, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Koel, Brown Cuckoo-Dove and Emerald Dove.

      When walking towards the mudflats you’ll have a view of the whole estuary towards Toorbul with the birds feeding or flying over. Look for Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler, Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Royal Spoonbill, Little Egret, Osprey and