Australian Good Birding Guide: Northern Queensland. Ted Wnorowski

Curlew and Brahminy Kite.

      Further down on Conway Rd, turn right into the road to Wilson Beach. The waterfront off the Esplanade has a small swamp, mature fig trees and mangroves near the river. Birds in the area include Far Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Lesser Crested Tern, Buff-banded Rail, Tawny Grassbird, Oriental Dollarbird, Collared Kingfisher, Forest Kingfisher, Great Bowerbird, Dusky Honeyeater, Helmeted Friarbird, Black Butcherbird and Brown Quail.

      Back up on Wilson Beach Rd and turn right. At the end of Conway Rd, you’ll find a caravan park on the verge of a long, empty beach. At low tide, large numbers of waders feed there. Commonly found are Pacific Golden Plover, Far Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit and Red-capped Plover. Rarer species include Terek Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Lesser Sand Plover, Sooty Oystercatcher and occasionally Double-banded Plover. Among the waders you may find Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Royal Spoonbill, Australian Gull-billed Tern and Little Egret.

      In the caravan park grounds, look for Bush Stone-curlew, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Olive-backed Sunbird and Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo.

      In the bushland along the foreshore you may get Metallic Starling, White-breasted Woodswallow, Helmeted Friarbird, Mangrove Honeyeater, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Varied Triller, Spectacled Monarch and Large-billed Gerygone. Both Blue-winged and Laughing Kookaburras occur here in good numbers. Large-tailed Nightjar may be calling during the night. Brown-backed Honeyeaters have been recorded here, at the southernmost occurrence for this species.

Airlie Beach

      This tourist coastal town is not part of the Conway National Park but this is the place where most visitors stay while exploring the Park and the Whitsundays.

      Good birding may be found on the Bicentennial Walkway. This 4km-long waterfront walk with boardwalks and fantastic coastal views stretches from the Airlie Beach Lagoon to Cannonvale Beach. The beach in town east of the Fairy Tree Park is good for the waders. A pair of Beach Stone-curlews resides near the mangroves. It is also a roosting site for Bar-tailed Godwits, Grey-tailed Tattlers and Australian Pied Oystercatchers. Occasionally, Common Sandpipers, Ruddy Turnstones and Sooty Oystercatchers turn up there. Look also for Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Lesser Crested Tern and Osprey. A resident flock of Peaceful Doves displayed an unusual feeding behaviour – they were avid beachcombers.

      Along Bicentennial Walkway we also found Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Great Bowerbird, Spangled Drongo, Metallic Starling, Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Fairy Gerygone, Common Cicadabird and many groups of White-breasted Woodswallows. Local fig trees were visited by Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, White-headed Pigeons and Torresian Imperial-Pigeons.

      Check the terns roosting on yachts in the marina; among Greater Crested Terns there is a chance of spotting Black-naped Tern or Lesser Crested Tern.

Proserpine

      Proserpine is a large town on Bruce Hwy about 1,000km north of Brisbane, a gateway to the 74 Whitsunday Islands. When visiting some local tourist attractions such as Gold Coffee Plantation or Whitsunday Crocodile Safari, pay attention to the birds; you may be surprised with what you may find.

Glen Isla Road

      The road leads east from Bruce Hwy (A1) at Proserpine, running through sugar cane plantations and large wetland areas to Proserpine River where the Whitsunday Crocodile Safari is located. GPS coordinates are 20^o25’03’’S and 148^o38’41’’E.

      This site is very productive and reliable. The wetlands should yield Magpie Geese, Plumed Whistling-Ducks, Comb-crested Jacanas, Pied Stilts and Royal Spoonbills. Other waterbirds regularly found here include Glossy Ibis, Black-necked Stork, Brolga, Latham’s Snipe and Azure Kingfisher. The particularly good time to visit is when the ponds are starting to dry out and waterbirds get concentrated. Swamp Harriers are often seen over the wetlands. In the wet, grassy areas look for Zitting Cisticola, Golden-headed Cisticola, Tawny Grassbird and Brown Quail.

      Golden-headed Cisticola

      When you take the safari cruise, on top of the show-stealing saltwater crocodiles look for Buff-banded Rail, Whimbrel, Common Sandpiper, Radjah Shelduck, Pied Stilt, Striated Heron, Black-necked Stork, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Brahminy Kite. There is also a small chance to see Mangrove Robin; it was reported several times from the cruise.

      Other birds along Glen Isla Rd include Pheasant Coucal, Australian Bustard, Helmeted Friarbird, White-breasted Woodswallow, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet and Yellow Honeyeater. At night, Barn Owls and Barking Owls can be heard along the road and in Proserpine.

Chapmans Lagoon

      This site is a small lagoon located on the eastern outskirts of Proserpine. From Bruce Hwy (A1) near the Caltex station take Horsford Pl, then find a track leading to the lagoon. GPS coordinates are 20^o24’05’’S and 148^o35’27’’E.

      Black-necked Storks regularly visit this site. Other regulars include Radjah Shelduck, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Comb-crested Jacana, White-necked Heron and Royal Spoonbill. You may also find Forest Kingfisher, White-breasted Woodswallow, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin and Rainbow Bee-eater around the lagoon.

Whitsunday Gold Coffee Plantation

      Male Olive-backed Sunbird

      This site is located along Bruce Hwy, just north of Proserpine, opposite the turnoff to Shute Harbour Rd. This is the biggest coffee plantation in Queensland and a nice place to stop for the Australian-made coffee.

      Large numbers (30-40 birds) of Bush Stone-curlews quite often welcome visitors at the entrance to the plantation. Other birds at the property include Olive-backed Sunbird, Yellow Honeyeater, Helmeted Friarbird, Australasian Pipit and Great Bowerbird. If you are travelling from the south, get your first glimpse of White-gaped Honeyeaters here.

Lake Proserpine

      Also known and signposted in the field as ‘Peter Faust Dam’, the lake is situated 26km west of Proserpine. This fantastic fishing destination is also a good birdwatching site. The dam is surrounded by dry bushland and farmland.

      To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) at Proserpine take Main St. It will change name several times (to Faust St, Crystalbrook Rd and finally to Station Rd). Facilities along the lake include shaded picnic tables, barbecues, toilets, carpark and boat ramp. No camping is allowed.

      About 100 bird species have been recorded around Lake Proserpine. Key species are Great Crested Grebe, Glossy Ibis, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Magpie Goose, Comb-crested Jacana, White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Osprey. Other birds of interest include Pheasant Coucal, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Forest Kingfisher, Common Cicadabird, Helmeted Friarbird and Bar-breasted Honeyeater. Rarer birds in the area include Australian Bustard, Squatter Pigeon and White-gaped Honeyeater.

      Great Crested Grebes breed on the lake and can often be found fishing among dead trees at the northern end of the dam. In the shallow end of the dam, look for Cotton Pygmy-goose, Comb-crested Jacana, Pied Stilt, Black-fronted Dotterel, White-necked Heron and Great Egret. Whiskered Terns may be flying over the water.

      Bush around the recreational area may produce Little Shrike-thrush, Leaden Flycatcher, Bar-breasted Honeyeater and White-throated Honeyeater.

      Past the boat ramp, Station Rd runs through the bush and long grass where you may find Black-faced Monarch, Brown Gerygone, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Pheasant Coucal and Black-shouldered Kite.

      Crystalbrook Rd runs through sugar cane plantations along Proserpine River. Apart from thousands of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, you may encounter here Emu, Australian Bustard, Pale-headed Rosella, Pheasant Coucal and Nankeen Kestrel.