Australian Good Birding Guide: Northern Queensland. Ted Wnorowski

roost on dead tree stumps.

      A shallow grassy swamp near the bridge attracts Brolgas, Magpie Geese, Glossy Ibises and Black-necked Storks. In the mangroves near the bridge, look for Mangrove Gerygone. If you are lucky, you may get a sighting of Mangrove Golden Whistler or Mangrove Robin. Azure Kingfisher likes to hunt near the bridge.

      In the village, you’ll be welcomed by Radjah Shelducks, Plumed Whistling-Ducks and Bush Stone-curlews. They forage on the grass among the houses, blending into the background as if they belonged there.

      In the village, get to the beach near the swimming enclosure. It is usable at high tide, otherwise there is no water behind the fence. At low tide, sandflats along the beach serve as feeding grounds for the waders. The most visible are Australian Pied Oystercatchers, dotted in pairs along the shoreline. Common waders also include Whimbrel, Great Knot, Far Eastern Curlew and Pacific Golden Plover. Among rarer waders here are Terek Sandpiper, Grey Plover, Red Knot and Black-tailed Godwit. Other birds of interest on the sandflats include Eastern Reef Egret, Little Egret, Little Tern, Common Tern and Caspian Tern.

      Mangroves near the boat ramp on Bakers Creek will offer you a chance to spot Mangrove Robin. Nearly guaranteed are Mangrove Honeyeaters and very noisy Pied Butcherbirds.

      It is worth checking the coastal scrub along the beach, especially thickets of cotton trees. Common birds here include Yellow Honeyeater, Dusky Honeyeater, Helmeted Friarbird, Fairy Gerygone, Olive-backed Sunbird and Little Bronze-cuckoo. Wherever figs are fruiting, look for Torresian Imperial-Pigeons and Channel-billed Cuckoos. Flocks of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos are regularly moving through the village and coastal scrubs in search of casuarina cones and seasonal fruit.

Mackay

      Mackay is a large coastal town located on the Central Coast of Queensland, about 1,000km north of Brisbane. Pioneer River flows through town. Off the coast, you have Great Barrier Reef and inland to the west there is the Eungella National Park. The town itself is a worthy birding destination, especially for its numerous wetlands and beaches which are good for the waders and waterbirds.

Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens

      The 33ha gardens are located at the southern entrance to Mackay, 5km from the CBD. The main feature if this site is a large, long lagoon, in parts covered densely with water hyacinths and water lilies. The edges are fringed with long grass and sedges. A concrete pathway runs around the lagoon. The gardens were opened only recently (2003) and trees are still maturing. The site showcases native flora from the Mackay region and Whitsundays.

      The tranquil lagoon of Mackay Botanic Gardens

      To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) turn west into Lagoon St. Road signage will lead you to the main entrance of the gardens with a Visitor Centre and a famous café with a large deck overlooking the lagoon. A 3km-long self-guided walking track runs through the gardens.

      Over 160 bird species have been recorded in the Botanic Gardens. Key species are Red-whiskered Bulbul, Pale-vented Bush-hen, White-browed Crake, Glossy Ibis, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon and Great Bowerbird. Other birds on interest include Cotton Pygmy-goose, Magpie Goose, Radjah Shelduck, Latham’s Snipe, Yellow Honeyeater, Dusky Honeyeater, Helmeted Friarbird and White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike. Rarities include Brolga, Black-necked Stork, Black-tailed Native-hen, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, King Quail, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, Metallic Starling and Australian Swiftlet.

      This is a popular birdwatching destination. People stop here to tick off Red-whiskered Bulbul, an isolated northernmost population of this introduced species. The best place to look for them is around the café. Order something to eat and wait; they will come to you. You can also look for them in the surrounding streets and some other Mackay locations such as the Ooralea suburb (formerly called Planlands) or East Gordon St.

      Another good species in the gardens is Pale-vented Bush-hen. They are cheeky and tame, often feeding among the pandanus roots by the pathways.

      The lagoon is usually filled with waterbirds, particularly at the far end corner near the highway. Magpie Geese, Purple Swamp-hens, Dusky Moorhens and both Whistling-Ducks can be found here in their hundreds. Comb-crested Jacanas, Cotton Pygmy-geese, Glossy Ibises, Plumed Egrets and Hardheads are also numerous. Occasionally, Baillon’s Crake and White-browed Crake can be found here.

      Common bush birds in the Botanic Gardens include Great Bowerbird (often near the café), Olive-backed Sunbird, Yellow Honeyeater, Helmeted Friarbird, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Brush Cuckoo, Eastern Koel, Red-backed Fairy-wren and Pacific Baza.

      A pair of Red-backed Fairy-wrens

      Look closely at the swallow-like birds hunting over the lagoon. Among the martins and swallows you’ll have a chance to spot Fork-tailed Swifts or even a flock of Australian Swiftlets.

      Many rare species have been recorded in the gardens. In May 2017, a juvenile Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher was found in the rainforest section. Great Crested Grebes are occasionally found in the lagoon. In January 2016, a flock of White-browed Woodswallows and a single Metallic Starlings visited the gardens.

Pioneer River Boardwalk

      This site is part of the 20km Bluewater Trail running from the Botanic Gardens through Pioneer River to the oceanside. The Pioneer River Boardwalk site encompasses a stretch of the trail between Bruce Hwy and Bluewater Lagoon (near the Caneland Shopping Centre). To complement the boardwalk, several short walking tracks run through mangroves, canals, grassland and bush regrowth in the area. The entrance to the site is behind the Caneland mall (near the Myer store) at the end of Matsuura Dr.

      To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) take Gordon St and soon turn left into Mangrove Rd, then left again into Matsuura Dr. A viewing platform over the Pioneer River is located opposite the shopping centre’s carpark. A large island and a sandbar in the river are a wader roost. Good facilities can be found along the river and in the shopping centre.

      Over 60 species are on the Pioneer River Boardwalk’s birdlist. Key species are the waders, Comb-crested Jacana, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Radjah Shelduck and Black Butcherbird. Other birds of interest include Mangrove Gerygone, Mangrove Honeyeater, Helmeted Friarbird, Yellow Honeyeater, Buff-banded Rail, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and Tawny Grassbird.

      Stop at the viewing platform to check out the waders. Common species here include Far Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Pacific Golden Plover, Red-kneed Dotterel, Black-fronted Dotterel and Pied Stilt. There should also be some Caspian Terns, Little Egrets, Striated Herons, Ospreys and Brahminy Kites on the riverbanks. Occasionally, Eastern Reef Egret may be spotted here.

      While walking through the mangroves, the sound of singing Mangrove Gerygones is all around you. Azure Kingfishers hunt along the canals. At low tide, check the mudflats in the canals for Radjah Shelduck, Buff-banded Rail, Little Egret and Whimbrel.

      In the unkempt grassy areas expect to see Brown Quail, Tawny Grassbird, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin and Australasian Pipit. In several small temporary wetlands through the grassy areas you may find Magpie Goose, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Plumed Whistling-Duck and occasionally Brolga.

      Bush birds at this site include Dusky Honeyeater, Rainbow Bee-eater, Spangled Drongo, Leaden Flycatcher, and Black Butcherbird.

Sandfly Creek Environmental Reserve

      This reserve is one of the largest (60ha) green areas in Mackay. The site is located on the south headland of the Pioneer River. The reserve protects remnants of original vegetation (mostly mangroves, coastal scrub and saltmarshes). A large area of grassland is slowly being revegetated with native flora. Sandfly Creek flows through the reserve. It is fitted with several floodgates to mitigate storm flash flood