Doonan Creek Restoration Day

Doonan Creek Restoration Day Thursday 17 March 2016 8 – 11.30am Doonan Creek Environmental Reserve 219 Doonan Bridge Road, Verrierdale (at the reserve sign – see map) Join us in restoring this endangered wetland habitat by planting fruiting trees for our visiting hinterland birds. The planting session will be followed by a demonstration in habitat pile construction and you will learn about their purpose and the animals they attract. Free event. Morning tea and equipment for planting is provided. Water will be available to refill your water bottles. Sturdy enclosed footwear, gloves and protective clothing must be worn (i.e. hat, sunglasses/eye protection, sunscreen and long sleeves). RSVP by 14 March 2016 To book click here. Bookings essential. For more information contact CommunityNature@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.

Martin Williams Nature Walk, Baroon Pocket Dam

Despite a hot day 17 people turned up for the mid week walk, led by John Malings.  The walk started slow but soon the birds appeared and some 65 spp recorded. Cicadabirds, Sitellas and Crested Shrike-tits the stand outs; although ebird got excited about the number of New Holland Honeyeaters. Interesting too that both New Hollands and White-cheeks recorded at the same site.

Lake Baroon--south shore trail, Queensland, AU Feb 17, 2016 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Protocol: Traveling

2.0 kilometer(s)

Cicadabird - female

65 species

Black Swan  2

Australian Wood Duck  25

Pacific Black Duck  9

Great Cormorant  1

Little Pied Cormorant  1

Australian Pelican  1

Great Egret  1

Intermediate Egret  6

White-faced Heron  2

Pacific Baza  1

Collared Sparrowhawk  1

Whistling Kite  1

Dusky Moorhen  2

Masked Lapwing  3

Silver Gull  1

Caspian Tern  1

Bar-shouldered Dove  5

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo  1

Leaden Flycatcher - male

Pheasant Coucal  1

White-throated Needletail  12

Laughing Kookaburra  3

Rainbow Bee-eater  6

Crested Shrike-tit

Pale-headed Rosella  2

Rainbow Lorikeet  6

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet  6

White-throated Treecreeper  2

Variegated Fairy-wren  3

Red-backed Fairy-wren  1

Lewin's Honeyeater  13

Noisy Miner  20

Scarlet Honeyeater  10

New Holland Honeyeater  12     birds seen well - white eyes clealry observed. not uncommon at this site

White-cheeked Honeyeater  2

White-throated Honeyeater  3

Spotted Pardalote  2

White-browed Scrubwren  4

Large-billed Scrubwren  4

Brown Thornbill  6

White-throated Gerygone  2

Eastern Whipbird  20

White-breasted Woodswallow  6

Grey Butcherbird  6

Australian Magpie  10

Pied Currawong  1

Varied Triller  3

Common Cicadabird  1

Varied Sittella  4

Crested Shrike-tit  2

Little Shrikethrush  4

Grey Shrikethrush  2

Golden Whistler  6

Rufous Whistler  1

Australasian Figbird  15

Spangled Drongo  3

Willie Wagtail  3

Rufous Fantail  1

Grey Fantail  2

Spectacled Monarch  2

Leaden Flycatcher  3

Restless Flycatcher  2

Torresian Crow  2

Eastern Yellow Robin  4

Golden-headed Cisticola  1

Silvereye  20

Red-browed Finch  4

All photos by Carol Popple

FRIDAY ENVIRONMENT FORUM NPA Environment Centre 19 February 2016 Noosa Estuary Bird Study

More than fifty species of shorebirds occur regularly in Australia and about one third of all Australian shorebirds are visitors. These long distance migrants travel from breeding grounds in the northern hemisphere, their return flight being an amazing 20,000km – 30,000 km. Some 40,000 migratory birds, from as far away as Alaska and Asia, have been recorded visiting Noosa during peak migration times in February and early March in years past.

Jill Dening and her team of volunteers have conducted surveys of the local bird population for ten years now. “The data collected over that time is sufficient to reveal some interesting population trends” she says. The team’s work covers all birds that use the Noosa estuary with a particular focus on shorebirds and terns, both migratory and resident. Ms Dening will be guest speaker at Friday Environment Forum on February 19 where she will share the results of her long term study.

“Sadly, most species of shorebirds in the East Asian/Australasian Flyway are suffering astonishing population crashes”, she observes. It is thought that the main problem occurs in the Yellow Sea, which has vast intertidal mudflats, used by migratory birds to fatten up on both their northerly and southerly journeys. Massive land reclamation in that area is causing feeding grounds to contract so that many birds do not complete their journey safely.

Because shorebird roost sites occur near to feeding areas on mudflats, beaches and freshwater wetlands, it is important that the birds remain relatively undisturbed. These astonishing migrants must increase their body weight by approximately seventy percent in order to gain strength to undertake their arduous journey. Thanks to the recommendation of Jill Dening’s team, some Noosa North Shore beach areas are now closed to vehicles and other disturbances. This has resulted in well populated and safe roosting areas.

To hear more about this remarkable ten year study, you are invited to join the audience at Noosa Parks Association’s Environment Centre, 5 Wallace Drive, Noosaville. Coffee is on offer from 10 am and Friday Environment Forum begins at 10.30 am. To enjoy the birds of Wallace Park, meet Valda in the car park at 8.30 am. All welcome. 

More at www.noosaparks.org.au

photo by Shanna Bignell

Mid week Outing - Baroon Pocket Dam - South Side

Hi

Sorry about the late notice but wednesday 17 feb  we have a mid week walk led by John Malings at Martin Williams Nature Walk, at the south end of Baroon Pocket Dam. Please meet in the car park at 8am.

Bli Bli Outing

A sample of the assembled [this and all photos by Warren Bennet]

Rain threatened and delivered and yet the birders came! Nearly 40! It was against my best expectations and I'm sure more than a few people arrived at Muller's Park this morning convinced that they would be birding alone.

Despite the rain the birding was good with over 80 spp recorded between the two sites; Muller's Park and the Finland Road area.

Muller Park, Bli Bli, Queensland, AU

Tom Corrigan - in action!

Feb 6, 2016 7:00 AM - 7:30 AM

Protocol: Traveling

0.5 kilometer(s)

38 species

Plumed Whistling-Duck  2

Australian Wood Duck  3

Pacific Black Duck  2

Chestnut Teal  1

Little Black Cormorant  3

Little Pied Cormorant  5

Australasian Darter  1

Australian Pelican  2

Great Egret  1

Cattle Egret  2

Great, Great Egret [it is just a Great Egret but it is really great] 

Striated Heron  3

Australian White Ibis  6

Royal Spoonbill  1

Osprey  1

Black-winged Stilt (Australian)  8

Masked Lapwing  5

Spotted Dove  2

Crested Pigeon  8

Bar-shouldered Dove  6

White-throated Needletail  10

Australian Hobby  1

Little Corella  2

Rainbow Lorikeet  8

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet  4

Noisy Miner  8

Mangrove Honeyeater  2

Brown Honeyeater  2

Blue-faced Honeyeater  3

Grey Butcherbird  2

Australian Magpie  3

Black-faced Cuckooshrike  1

Hobby

Australasian Figbird  4

Willie Wagtail  2

Magpie-lark  2

Torresian Crow  2

Welcome Swallow  2

Common Myna  2

Mistletoebird  2

Finland Rd at -26.613,153.067, Pacific Paradise, Queensland, AU Feb 6, 2016 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Protocol: Traveling

2.0 kilometer(s)

Comments:     weather - showers

57 species

Male Darter in centre stage flanked by both Whistling Ducks

Plumed Whistling-Duck  18

Wandering Whistling-Duck  8

Australian Wood Duck  12

Pacific Black Duck  8

Little Black Cormorant  6

Little Pied Cormorant  3

Australasian Darter  2

Australian Pelican  1

Great Egret  1

Intermediate Egret  1

White-faced Heron  1

Cattle Egret  6

Australian White Ibis  14

Straw-necked Ibis  1

Black-shouldered Kite (Australian)  2

Brown Goshawk  2

Collared Sparrowhawk  1

Black Kite  2

White-bellied Sea-Eagle  1

Australasian Swamphen  2

Dusky Moorhen  3

Black-winged Stilt (Australian)  10

Masked Lapwing  10

Spotted Dove  4

Crested Pigeon  12

Bar-shouldered Dove  4

Laughing Kookaburra  1

Brown Falcon

Sacred Kingfisher  2

Brown Falcon  2

Galah  2

Rainbow Lorikeet  4

Red-backed Fairy-wren  1

Brown Honeyeater  2

Blue-faced Honeyeater  3

Little Friarbird  1

White-throated Gerygone  2

White-breasted Woodswallow  12

Pied Butcherbird  4

Australian Magpie  6

Black-faced Cuckooshrike  1

Golden Whistler  2

Rufous Whistler  1

Willie Wagtail  3

Grey Fantail  2

Magpie-lark  8

Torresian Crow  6

Eastern Yellow Robin  1

Welcome Swallow  12

Fairy Martin  12

Tawny Grassbird  14

Golden-headed Cisticola  24

Silvereye  4

Common Myna  2

Australasian Pipit  1

Red-browed Finch  20

Double-barred Finch  6

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin  30

 

Chestnut breasted Mannikins developing the skills of Jacanas