BAYBOCA Bulletern
Extract BAYBOCA Bulletern
ExtractThe following article is from the February 2002 edition of the BAYBOCA newsletter, the BAYBOCA Bulletern, which is mailed to all members.
With many of us making the annual winter pilgrimage to Queensland, I thought it may be of interest to share some of my birding experiences whilst en route. You'll appreciate, of course, birding is similar to fishing, "nothing doing today, but you should have been here last week" so I can only tell it as I found it.
We always make an early morning start, taking the Newell Highway to Coonabarabran and arriving around 6 pm, staying at the El Paso Motel, which I can recommend. The next day we drive to the Warrumbungle National Park which is approximately 40 km from Coonabarabran and offers a number of diverse habitats.
We generally make our first stop at Burbie Canyon, which is a walk of around 2 km and takes one hour. Many small bush birds are to be found and it's a good place to get your eye in. Then to Pincham Car Park for morning tea and a walk along the Bread Knife Track. This is well graded, and takes you alongside a stream through moderate to heavy timber stands with a range of scrub and forest birds. If the trees are in blossom the honeyeaters are quite prolific.
If you're still enthusiastic, you can finish with a drive to Woolshed where there is also a variety of birds which are quite accessible. Maps and information are available from the Warrumbungle National Park Office, and with a bird list of 185 species there is plenty of scope for interesting sightings. We generally see around 45 to 55 species including Speckled Warblers, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes and Inland Thornbills.
The second day we drive between the foothills of the Warrumbungle mountains, the Great Western Plains, and the Pilliga Forest, called the Baradine and Pilliga Bird Route. Maps and bird lists are available from the Coonabarabran Information Centre and road/track conditions from the Coonabarabran National Park Centre. With a bird list of 237 species, it's really worth trying. With a good observer, you can pick up Double-banded Finches, Diamond Firetails, Grey-crowned Babblers, and Spotted Bowerbirds.
As we've spent some time around Noosa, I've included this area next. Using Noosa as a base, there is ample scope to fill in two weeks without retracing your steps. At the last count, 318 species had been recorded in south-east Queensland, which is a fair percentage of the Australian total. Noosa National Park is worth covering as we generally see 35+ species which include White-breasted Sea-eagles, Whistling Kites and my favourite, Brahminy Kites. Next, the Great Sandy National Park Cooloola Section, which is a one hour drive from Noosa. Starting from Elandra Point, you'll see Brown Cuckoo-Doves, Tawny Grassbirds, Azure Kingfishers, Red-backed Fairy-wrens - the list is endless.
Looking for something different? Hire a boat and go up the Noosa River, which eventually leads into Lake Cootharaba and passes through many sand banks, mud flats, timbered and scrub-lined banks, giving a good rang of birds from Eastern Curlews, Bar-tailed Godwits, Jabiru, Forest and Azure Kingfishers, raptors, Scarlet Honeyeaters, and all whilst just sitting and looking.
Do your evening shopping at the Noosa Junction Supermarket and then go to the park behind and watch the Glossy Black-cockatoos feeding in the Banksia.
Totally exhausted from this frenzied activity drive to Fairhill Native Plant Botanic Garden complex, Yandina and lunch at their gourmet restaurant: 110 species of birds recorded in the grounds. We watched a Green Catbird feeding whilst we did likewise - and no extra charge!
Last year, we went further north and spent some time around Blackwater, which is on the Capricorn Highway between Rockhampton and Emerald. Blackdown Tableland National Park is a plateau of sandstone which rises above the hot, dry plains of central Queensland with wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. Woodlands, open forests and heath cover the area and in the sheltered gorges ferns and mosses thrive in the damp environment. It's quite a contrast to the hot, dry plains below. 160 species had been recorded as of 20 March 1999. A well-graded gravel road takes you the twenty-two kilometres from the Capricorn Highway with a quite steep climb up to the escarpment - just take it easy and it's fine.
During our visits we sighted, amongst other species, Australian Bustards, Variegated Fairy-wrens, Quail-thrush and because there was a lot of blossom, the greater majority of the sixteen honeyeaters listed.
We also spent two days at Carnarvon National Park which is approximately 180 kilometres south of Emerald. We stopped at the Oasis Lodge which is situated within the National Park with individual self-contained units located at discreet distances from each other.
In the trees and shrubs surrounding the sites were Squatter Pigeons, Bar-shouldered and Peaceful Doves, Lorikeets, Pale-headed Rosellas, King Parrots and Striped Honeyeaters. The current bird list covers 183 species and if you're prepared to walk, you'll see many of these. The area is more user-friendly than the Blackdown National Park with many well-maintained walking tracks leading to some spectacular views. The downside is that the numbers using the park are greater - with coach tours being regular visitors you need to get off the beaten track for best results.
Still, we were more than happy with our experience there.
Credits
Article: CFS
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