Australian Good Birding Guide: Northern Queensland. Ted Wnorowski

      Rainbow Bee-eater

      In the campsite, look for Blue-winged Kookaburra, Bush Stone-curlew and White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike. Other birds here include Fairy Gerygone, Large-billed Gerygone (in the paperbarks), Spangled Drongo, Rainbow Bee-eater, Leaden Flycatcher and Black Butcherbird.

      During our visit in February there was an influx of Brahminy Kites, about 20 in total, many of them juveniles. In summer, Metallic Starlings are breeding in trees along Cape Hillsborough Rd between the turnoff to Haliday Bay and the turnoff to Smalley’s Beach.

      It is also a good idea to pop into the Old Station Teahouse in Cape Hillsborough Rd. The old trees in the grounds attract a wide variety of honeyeaters and fruit-eating pigeons that can be observed at leisure while sipping your morning tea. Even White-gaped Honeyeater can be found here.

Diversity Boardwalk

      A small carpark marks the entrance to a 1.2km walk through the mangroves, paperbark swamp and vine thicket. The site is located off Cape Hillsborough Rd before reaching the day-use area. GPS coordinates are 20^o55’21’’S and 149^o01’57’’E.

      This is the place to look for Australian Yellow White-eye and Mangrove Golden Whistler. Both species have been recorded here several times. The former is mostly found in the mangroves at the start of the walk.

      Olive-backed Sunbirds, Dusky Honeyeaters and Spectacled Monarchs are common. Other birds along this walk include White-eared Monarch, Shining Flycatcher, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Black Butcherbird, Rufous Fantail, Brown Quail and Varied Triller. Four gerygone species can be found along the track. Most common is Fairy Gerygone but look also for Large-billed, Brown and Mangrove Gerygone. Noisy Pitta can be found in the undergrowth at the interface of mangroves and open eucalypt forest.

Day-use Area and Caravan Park

      Orange-footed Scrubfowls and Australian Brush-turkeys are tame and can be observed wandering between the picnic tables. During our visit, the best birding happened at a row of old trees growing on the beach fringe. Especially popular with the birds were fruiting native rohans where we counted 20 Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves, the most we’ve seen in one place to date. There were also a few Superb Fruit-Doves and Torresian Imperial-Pigeons. Eleven White-breasted Woodswallows snuggled up together in a tree in the carpark. In the caravan park grounds we spotted Great Bowerbird and also Bush Stone-curlews, Brown-capped Emerald-Doves and Tawny Frogmouths. Pacific Baza was moving between the trees.

      Other birds we found in this area included Black Butcherbird, Helmeted Friarbird (nesting), Olive-backed Sunbird, Collared Kingfisher, Fairy Gerygone and Lemon-bellied Flycatcher. On the beach we ticked off Whimbrel, Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Australian Gull-billed Tern and Lesser Crested Tern.

      A pair of Australian Pied Oystercatchers, banded in Queensland

Beachcomber Cove Track

      The track starts at the northern end of the day-use area. It meanders through open eucalypt forest and the rainforest with hoop pines, ferns and vines. It ends at the Beachcomber Cove. You can walk there or back along the beach at low tide. The first section with an eucalypt forest is best for birding. You may find here White-throated Nightjar, Tawny Frogmouth, Common Bronzewing, Fairy Gerygone, Yellow Honeyeater, Noisy Friarbird, Great Bowerbird, Leaden Flycatcher and Rufous Whistler. Look for Satin Flycatcher in the gully on the seaside of the track.

Hidden Valley Trail

      This track starts on the right side of the caravan park and takes you to the mudflats and mangroves. A 4WD vehicle is recommended.

      Bushland at the end of the track is fantastic for monarchs; White-eared, Black-faced and Spectacled Monarchs may be found here in close proximity. Look also for Helmeted Friarbird, Black Butcherbird, Mangrove Honeyeater, Collared Kingfisher, Shining Flycatcher and Broad-billed Flycatcher.

      On the mudflats, you may see Far Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Striated Heron and White-bellied Sea-Eagle. We watched one struggling on the beach with a catch of a large stingray.

Yuibera Plant Trail

      This track is an off-shoot of the Hidden Valley Track. It is a walking track only. We found here breeding White-eared Monarchs. The most common species in the area were Fairy Gerygone, Olive-backed Sunbird and Spangled Drongo. There were also Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Leaden Flycatcher, Yellow Thornbill, Brown-capped Emerald-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Eastern Reef Egret, Caspian Tern, Pacific Golden Plover and Southern Boobook. Metallic Starlings are often recorded here but we did not get them.

Seaforth

      Seaforth is a charming beachfront village located 35km northwest of Mackay, best known as a popular fishing destination. For us, it is a special place where family groups of Bush Stone-curlews are the main decoration of the local backyards. Habitats here include extensive sandflats in front of beaches and mangroves, Victor Creek estuary, bushy foreshore, parklands and remnants of rainforest. All that is surrounded by the sea of sugar cane.

      Besides being in the proximity to the Cape Hillsborough National Park, Seaforth has several good birding spots including Finlaysons Point, Victor Creek boat ramp, Ball Bay and Haliday Bay. Seaforth is recognised as a reliable wader site.

      To get there:

       From Mackay travel 20km in the northerly direction on Bruce Hwy (A1), then turn east into Seaforth Rd (Yakapari-Seaforth Rd on some maps) and drive to the village.

       Coming from the north, from Bruce Hwy (A1) in Mount Ossa turn left into Mount Ossa-Seaforth Rd (partially unsealed). After 15km turn left into Seaforth Rd at the T-junction and drive to the village.

      Site facilities include picnic tables and toilets which are located in the foreshore reserve.

      About 100 bird species have been recorded at Seaforth. Key species are Bush Stone-curlew, Beach Stone-curlew, Large-tailed Nightjar, Metallic Starling and Lesser Crested Tern. Other birds of interest include waders, Radjah Shelduck, Great Bowerbird, Collared Kingfisher, Brown-capped Emerald-Dove, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo and Torresian Imperial-Pigeon. Rarities include Oriental Cuckoo, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Australian Swiftlet and Long-billed Corella.

Finlaysons Point

      Finlaysons Point is a well-known wader site. To get to the site, turn left at Seaforth into Palm Ave which will change name to Walsh Ave and then into Seaforth-Port Newry Rd. At the point of second name change, where the road turns sharply to the left, take an unsealed bush track to your right (called Finlaysons Point Rd) which will get you to the Point through the bushland.

      A pair of Beach Stone-curlews regularly breeds there. It is an important area for Sooty Oystercatcher; up to 19 birds have been counted in wader surveys. A small flock of Lesser Crested Terns is found regularly among Greater Crested Terns. Other birds in the area include Far Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Striated Heron, Brush Cuckoo, Mangrove Honeyeater and Olive-backed Sunbird.

      Sooty Oystercatcher

      Oriental Cuckoos are occasionally found in summer in the bush around the Point.

      If you continue further on along Seaforth-Port Newry Rd, it will take you to a large boat ramp area. The mangroves and bushland in this spot may prove to be very productive. Look for Mangrove Gerygone, Collared Kingfisher, White-browed Robin, Rainbow Bee-eater, Black Butcherbird, Black-faced Monarch, Varied Triller and Brahminy Kite.

Seaforth