BUNBURY BIRD SITES BIRDING AROUND BUNBURY INTRODUCTION Birdwatching

Please use pathways where provided. Avoid disturbing birds by viewing them from a distance. Around Bunbury Bu alo Road Bunbury is a regional city where you can enjoy an 9 Rosamel Reserve ancient forest, ocean beaches and wetlands within a Marriot Road short drive from the CBD. Diving gannets, graceful Cathedral Avenue terns, whimsical oystercatchers and the elusive Australind Bypass 8 Western Yellow Robin are all possibilities. Around 200 bird species have been recorded in the area, including Indian 21 shorebird species which migrate annually from the Ocean northern hemisphere, having bred in the Alaskan-Siberian summer. Brunswick River

Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Park Old Coast Road Local contacts: To Brunswick Junction Anne 0409 296 461 Paris Road Doug 08 9721 2166

Leschenault Estuary To Burekup Sue 08 9791 4550 7 Supported by City of Bunbury Peninsular Lakes

Old Coast Road 11 Local Information Sue Kalab & BirdLife Bunbury Pt Mornington Bunbury 10 CBD 5 Illustrations by Pam Free, Keith Lightbody, Susan Tingay. Leschenault Estuary Drive Forest Highway Inlet Guide No 21AB: Revised May 2020. 1 South Western Highway Big Swamp All content is subject to copyright ©. Ocean Drive Queries to BirdLife .

Preston River 2 South Western Highway Maidens Robertson Drive BirdLife Western Australia members are offered a variety of Reserve activities and services including conservation and research To Dardanup 4 projects, excursions, campouts, surveys and social activities. John Anderson by photograph Plover Red-capped Manea 3 Park There is also a library and books for sale at the office. To view Bunbury Tuart To 6 the full range of bird guides visit the website. Forest Stirling Wetlands Bussell Highway

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BirdLife Western Australia 167 Perry Lakes Drive, Floreat WA 6014 birds are in our nature White-bellied Sea-Eagle T 08 9383 7749 | [email protected] Western Australia facebook.com/BirdLifeAustralia | @BirdlifeOz ABN 75 149 124 774 1 Big Swamp 5 Leschenault Inlet 8 Leschenault Peninsula Conservation 2 mins drive south of CBD, circled by Prince Philip Close to the CBD. From Koombana Dr, go to the end Park (LPCP) Drive and Tuart Street. Stands of paperbarks and of Lyons Cove. Park near Sykes Foreshore Reserve. 70 About 30 mins north of Bunbury CBD, at the western introduced grasses surround open water and islands. species recorded here. Buff-banded Rail breed here edge of the estuary, LPCP is a peninsular of sand A 2 km wheelchair-friendly path circles the swamp, and Osprey is seen frequently. dunes with Tuart canopy. At the north end of Cathedral with two boardwalks and a hide. 100 species recorded, Ave (or from Forrest Hwy) turn into Buffalo Road. including Blue-billed Duck, Little Grassbird, Rainbow SOUTH OF BUNBURY Along Buffalo Road look for White-fronted Chat and Bee-eater, and Red-capped Parrot. Black Swan, Great 6 Stirling Wetland Brown Songlark. Waders, bushland and ocean birds Crested Grebe and Musk Duck breed here, and raptors include Sacred Kingfisher, stilts, avocets and migratory are often seen. Approx. 35 mins drive south of Bunbury CBD. West of Capel, south of and adjacent shorebirds. Drive south to explore quiet coves for to Peppermint Grove Beach. On privately owned waterbirds, and possibly Southern Emu-wren in the 2 Maidens Reserve farmland. Access is restricted to an unformed road woodlands. At Belvidere, at end of gravel road, look for 6 mins drive from Bunbury CBD, south along Ocean reserve; requires wearing waders for much of the year. large nests in tall Tuarts. Drive. Park at picnic area near junction of Westwood A telescope is useful. Entrance is along Ludlow North Street. Limestone tracks lead north-south and west Road opposite a sign ‘Tuart Forest National Park’. 100 9 Rosamel Reserve, Leschenault to the ocean, through a variety of habitats - ancient species recorded. Tuart canopies, Peppermints, grasslands and coastal 20 mins drive north of Bunbury CBD. Along Cathedral heathland. Look for raptors, seabirds and bushbirds Ave, turn into Lofthouse Dr (just before Buffalo Rd). A including Southern Emu-wren and Spotted Pardalote. NORTH OF BUNBURY short path circles an island. In breeding season (Aug 7 Leschenault Estuary to Dec) activity peaks with at least seven species using this small area, among them Australian White and 3 Bunbury Tuart Forest The estuary is a long lagoon running north–south, approximately 13.5 km long and 2.5 km at its widest Straw-necked Ibis. 8 mins drive south of CBD, at the end of Ocean Drive. Several obvious entry points. and separated from the ocean by Leschenault Ancient Tuarts and Jarrah with banksia and Peninsula Conservation Park. Collie and Preston Rivers 10 Point Mornington Peppermint woodlands. Forest birds include Scarlet flow into the estuary. Species include White-bellied 15 mins north of CBD at mouth of . Access Robin, Western Yellow Robin, Splendid Fairy-wren, Sea-Eagle, Osprey, Whistling Kite and other raptors, via Inner Harbour gate. Turn right, 1400m to car-park, Golden Whistler and Grey Shrike-thrush. Paths lead Black-winged Stilt, Red-necked Avocet and seasonal then 800m walk. In season, migratory shorebirds at low east and south as well as west through high dunes migrants. Up to 2,000 Black Swan can be seen at tide. Use a telescope if possible to avoid disturbance. giving spectacular views. times. There are many vantage points and a telescope is handy. 11 Peninsula Lakes, Eaton (Leicester 4 Manea Park Reserve) 10 mins drive from Bunbury CBD in College Grove at About 20 mins from CBD in Eaton. From Leicester junction of Somerville Drive and Winthrop Avenue. Ramble, follow a delightfully restored trail along the Enter through the bollards and follow the limestone Collie River. Bushbirds and waterbirds can be seen path, a 2.3 km loop. Mixed forest of Marri and Jarrah or heard here including Grey Currawong and Spotted known for wildflowers, this is habitat for a variety of Pardalote. bushbirds including all three species of threatened black-cockatoos.

Whistling Kite Black Swan

Grey Currawong BUNBURY BIRD LIST Rating is only for places described OYSTERCATCHERS GULLS, TERNS & NODDIES DUCKS, GEESE & SWANS Australian Pied Oystercatcher C Silver Gull C Blue-billed Duck U O Sooty Oystercatcher R Pacific Gull C Pink-eared Duck R Fairy Tern U T Black Swan C STILTS & AVOCETS Australian Gull-billed Tern R Australian Shelduck C Banded Stilt U Caspian Tern C IA Hardhead R Red-necked Avocet U Whiskered Tern R Mi Su Australasian Shoveler U Pied Stilt M Crested Tern C Pacific Black Duck C Grey Teal U PLOVERS, DOTTEREL, LAPWINGS PENGUINS Chestnut Teal R Migrants are present in summer Little Penguin U Musk Duck C Grey Plover M Mi IA seen all year round Australian Wood Duck C Pacific Golden Plover R Mi IA Red-capped Plover M PETRELS & SHEARWATERS PHEASANTS & QUAIL Most likely autumn, winter or in strong winds Stubble Quail U Lesser Sand Plover R Mi T IA Greater Sand Plover R Mi T IA Southern Giant-Petrel R IA Black-fronted Dotterel M Cape Petrel R Banded Lapwing U Flesh-footed Shearwater U T IA GREBES Red-kneed Dotterel R Australasian Grebe M Australasian Grebe PELICAN Hoary-headed Grebe M SNIPE, SANDPIPERS, GODWITS, CURLEW, STINTS & Australian Pelican C Great Crested Grebe U PHALAROPES Migrants are present in summer HERONS, EGRETS & BITTERNS PIGEONS & DOVES Nankeen Night-Heron U Rock Dove * C Whimbrel R Mi IA Cattle Egret M IA Laughing Dove * C Eastern Curlew U Mi T IA White-necked Heron C Common Bronzewing M Bar-tailed Godwit U Mi T IA Great Egret C IA Brush Bronzewing R Black-tailed Godwit R Mi O IA White-faced Heron C Crested Pigeon U Ruddy Turnstone R Mi IA Little Egret M Great Knot R Mi T IA Eastern Reef Egret U IA CUCKOOS Red Knot R Mi T IA Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo M Mi Sp-Su Sharp-tailed Sandpiper U Mi IA IBIS & SPOONBILLS Shining Bronze-Cuckoo M Mi Sp-Su Curlew Sandpiper R Mi T IA Australian White Ibis C Fan-tailed Cuckoo U Mi Sp-Su Red-necked Stint M Mi IA Straw-necked Ibis C Pallid Cuckoo U Mi Sp-Su Sanderling R Mi IA Yellow-billed Spoonbill M Terek Sandpiper R Mi IA Glossy Ibis R IA FROGMOUTHS Common Sandpiper M Mi IA Tawny Frogmouth U Grey-tailed Tattler R Mi O IA GANNETS & BOOBIES Common Greenshank M Mi IA Australasian Gannet C SWIFTS & SWIFTLETS Wood Sandpiper R Mi IA Fork-tailed Swift R IA CORMORANTS & SHAGS Marsh Sandpiper R Mi IA Little Pied Cormorant C CRAKES, RAILS & SWAMPHENS BUTTON-QUAIL Great Cormorant C Buff-banded Rail M Painted Button-quail R Little Black Cormorant C Australian Spotted Crake U Great Pied Cormorant C Spotless Crake R SKUAS & JAEGERS Purple Swamphen C Brown Skua R DARTER Dusky Moorhen C Australian Darter C Black-tailed Native-hen R Eurasian Coot C Painted Button-quail WOODSWALLOWS, CURRAWONGS, BUTCHERBIRDS OSPREY PARROTS, LORIKEETS & ROSELLAS Osprey M IA Regent Parrot U & MAGPIE continued Grey Butcherbird M Red-capped Parrot M EAGLES, KITES, GOSHAWKS Dusky Woodswallow U Western Rosella R Black-shouldered Kite M Black-faced Woodswallow U Square-tailed Kite R Australian Ringneck C Wedge-tailed Eagle U Elegant Parrot U FANTAILS Little Eagle R Rock Parrot R Willie Wagtail C Swamp Harrier M Purple-crowned Lorikeet R Grey Fantail M Brown Goshawk U CROWS & RAVENS Collared Sparrowhawk U FAIRY-WRENS, EMU-WRENS AND GRASSWRENS Australian Raven C White-bellied Sea-Eagle U Splendid Fairy-wren M Southern Emu-wren R Whistling Kite C MONARCH & FLYCATCHERS Magpie-lark C MASKED OWLS HONEYEATERS AND CHATS Barn Owl U Brown Honeyeater M New Holland Honeyeater C AUSTRALIAN ROBINS Scarlet Robin U HAWK-OWLS White-cheeked Honeyeater U Western Yellow Robin R Southern Boobook U Western Spinebill R White-fronted Chat R PIPITS & WAGTAILS BEE-EATER Western Wattlebird R Australasian Pipit R Rainbow Bee-eater U IA Mi Su Red Wattlebird C GRASSBIRDS Western Yellow Robin KINGFISHERS Singing Honeyeater C Brown Songlark R Sacred Kingfisher U Mi Su PARDALOTES Rufous Songlark R Laughing Kookaburra C * Spotted Pardalote U Little Grassbird M FALCONS Striated Pardalote U REED WARBLERS Nankeen Kestrel M THORNBILLS & GERYGONES Australian Reed-Warbler M Australian Hobby R Western Gerygone C Brown Falcon U Weebill C SWALLOWS & MARTINS Peregrine Falcon R OSP White-browed Scrubwren U Tree Martin M Welcome Swallow C COCKATOOS & CORELLAS Yellow-rumped Thornbill U Inland Thornbill M Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo WHITE-EYES Western Thornbill U WA’s endemic subsp Forest Red-tail U T Silvereye C Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo U T SITTELLAS U T Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo Varied Sittella R Galah C Long-billed Corella M CUCKOO-SHRIKES & TRILLERS Codes Little Corella C Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike U Season present White-winged Triller R Mi Su * Introduced C Common Sp Su Au Wi WHISTLERS, SHRIKE-THRUSHES & ALLIES M Moderately common OSP Other specially Rufous Whistler U U Uncommon R Rare protected Golden Whistler U Grey Shrike-thrush R T Threatened O Of conservation WOODSWALLOWS, CURRAWONGS, BUTCHERBIRDS IA Protected by concern & MAGPIE international WA endemics are shown in Grey Currawong R agreement bold White-necked Heron Australian Magpie C Mi Migratory