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Birdwatching Mackay and Pioneer Valley

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Birdwatching Mackay and Pioneer Valley 1. Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens 4. Blacks Beach Spit, Key Species: R Blacks Beach O Birdwatching Comb-crested Jacana, Nankeen Night-Heron, Cotton Pygmy-goose, S Key Species: E Pale-vented Bush-hen, Olive-backed Sunbird, Olive-backed Oriole. - Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Rose-crowned Fruit- C R Directions: O Dove, White-eared Monarch, Beach Stone-curlew, W Located on the left-hand side of Nebo Road, coming into Mackay from Olive-backed Oriole, Olive-backed Sunbird and N and ED VE Mackay the south. Main entry (and carpark) is off Lagoon Street. waders. FRUIT DO Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens is established around part of Lagoons Directions: Creek and focuses on flora from the Central Queensland Coast but also From Blacks Beach Road at Blacks Beach, continue east for Pioneer Valley showcases other Australian natives and exotics. The gardens provide 1.8km and then turn right into Pacific Drive. After 0.75km turn left into an ideal habitat for bush birds and a number of water bird species make Anglers Parade and continue to the car park at its eastern end. use of the permanent water in the lagoons. Birdlife Mackay undertake A 2.2km sandy walking track (4.4km return) through coastal forest and a monthly survey of the Botanic Gardens (last Friday of each month at foredunes leads to McCreadys Creek inlet. The coastal frontage provides 6.30am from the café deck), which is open to the public. an important turtle nesting site as well as intertidal roosts for shorebirds. 2. Sandfly Creek, East Mackay 5. Bucasia Esplanade, Bucasia Key Species: Key Species: Eastern Curlew, Mangrove Honeyeater, Mangrove Barking Owl, Striated Pardalote, Rainbow Bee-eater, Radjah Shelduck, Gerygone, Brown Quail, Black Butcherbird, N Sacred Kingfisher, Mangrove Honeyeater, Mangrove Gerygone, Eastern E Red-backed Fairy-wren, Golden-headed Cisticola. R Reef Egret, Eastern Osprey, Brahminy Kite and waders including Eastern W Directions: - Curlew, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit. Y R Accessed from either the eastern end of River I Directions: A Street or the eastern end of East Gordon Street. F From Mackay-Bucasia Road, turn right into Downie Avenue just before E D RED-BACK This site includes a 2km (4km return) concrete path, the Bucasia Shopping Centre and then right again after 1km onto which runs from the boat ramp on River Street at the Bucasia Esplanade. eastern side of the City Centre through to East Gordon Street. Bucasia Boat Ramp at the eastern end of Bucasia Esplanade Search for the Mangrove Honeyeater and Mangrove Gerygone in the can be a great place to see Striated Pardalote as they nest in the bank mangroves adjacent to the path, waders including to the left of the ramp. Other species common here include Rainbow Grey-tailed Tattler, Eastern Curlew, Australian Pied and Sooty Bee-eater, Gull-billed, Crested, and in season, Little Tern and a variety of Oystercatcher along the river bank, seabirds over the river and bush birds waders. including Golden-headed Cisticola, White-breasted Woodswallow and Double-barred Finch along the path. Brown Quail feed early mornings Seaview Park is located on the western side of Bucasia Beachfront along path edges closer to the East Gordon Street end. Caravan Resort and is good for Rajah Shelduck, Plumed Whistling- Rainbow Bee-eater dig nests close to the path in late spring. Duck, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Dollarbird (summer), Bush Stone-curlew and often Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. 3. Shellgrit Creek, Barking Owl sometimes roost in beach almond trees in this park. South Mackay 6. Cape Hillsborough Key Species: Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Pacific Golden Key Species: Plover, Double-banded Plover (winter), Pacific Emerald Dove, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Knot. Bush Stone-curlew, Forest Kingfisher. Directions: Directions: E A W Drive north from Mackay on the Pacific Coast Way (Bruce Highway) From Bridge Road, turn right into Beverley Street, ST LE ERN CUR left into Petrie Street, and right into Illawong Drive. and travel 21km to The Leap and then turn right onto Yakapari-Seaforth Continue about 1km to the reserve entry sign. Road. Turn right after about 19km onto Cape Hillsborough Road and continue 9.3km to Cape Hillsborough National Park. A pathway leads through dune grasslands to an observation point at the beach. This area provides an important high tide migratory and resident Cape Hillsborough includes rainforest, coastal forest, beaches, rocky shorebird roost for over 20 wader species and various terns. There is headlands and mangroves. A carpark on the right after entering the also generally good birding for forest and wetland birds on the path to National Park provides access to the Cape Hillsborough National Park Diversity Boardwalk loop track. Search here for Mangrove Honeyeater, Eungella Honeyeater on the beach and along Illawong Drive. Climbing Pandan by Steve Dew White-throated Honeyeater, Fairy Gerygone and Rufous Fantail Directions: 13. Chelmans Road on the boardwalk and Little Shrike-thrush and Noisy Pitta in the Head west along Mackay-Eungella Road through Marian and turn left The best place to find Eungella Honeyeater is to head out of Eungella adjoining rainforest. Continue to the coast to search for Great about 4.7km from the Marian Sugar Mill onto Brand Road. township on Dalrymple Road for approximately 15km where Chelmans Bowerbird, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Tawny Frogmouth in the Continue to a gate at the DeMoleyns Lagoon Reserve where parking Road is on the left. Continue down Chelmans Road until it ends at the adjacent forest and waders along the beach. A track (Hidden Valley is available adjacent to the waste transfer station. A track from the National Park entrance. Climbing Pandan flowers, seen from the clearing Road) behind the Cape Hillsborough Tourist Park leads gate leads down to the lagoon. Please note: No toilet facilities. in Spring, is the Eungella Honeyeater’s favourite food. Walking along the to further rainforest and coastline birding areas. DeMoleyns is a seasonally inundated Melaleuca wetland/lagoon track in the National Park will provide other rainforest species including surrounded mostly by cane farms. It is a hotspot for many wetland Regent Bowerbird, Superb and Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Monarchs and Rufous birds with Egrets, Darters, Cormorants and the Bar-breasted Fantail. 7. Finlayson Point, Honeyeater breeding in the Melaleucas. Access around the lagoon can be difficult in the wet season after rain and areas around the 14. Broken River Seaforth There is a National Park campground and commercial accommodation at B lagoon may be overgrown after wet periods. E Key Species: A Broken River 6.6km from Eungella township along Eungella Dam Road. C Blue-winged Kookaburra, Mangrove H Search around the café and picnic grounds to see Scarlet Honeyeater, S Gerygone, Brahminy Kite, Beach T 10. Finch Hatton Gorge, Finch Hatton Noisy Pitta, Russet-tailed Thrush, Eastern Yellow Robin and other ON Stone-curlew, Shining Flycatcher and waders. E CURLEW rainforest species. There are also a number of National Park walks from Key Species: Directions: Wompoo, Rose-crowned and Superb Fruit-Dove, Broken River and platypus viewing decks here. Proceed to Seaforth and turn left onto Palm Avenue. Pacific Emerald Dove, Torresian Imperial- 15. Old Crediton Hall Continue along for about 2.4km and turn right into an unnamed Pigeon, Azure Kingfisher, White-browed Continue on Eungella Dam Road from Broken River for about 3kms and single vehicle track (first on right after Hibiscus Street) and follow Scrubwren, Australian King-Parrot and other then veer left onto Crediton Loop Road. After another 7kms there is a to a basic car parking area at the end. rainforest species. Little Kingfisher, Buff- campground at the Old Hall with drop toilets. Walk the roads around Search the shoreline for waders and raptors or follow a track breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (Nov-March), R the Old Hall and campground for Monarchs, Red-browed Finch, Regent through forest and mangrove fringes off to the west (left) for bush White-eared Monarch and Barred Cuckoo- E H Bowerbird, Wompoo and Superb Fruit-Dove, Golden Whistler, and mangrove species. shrike are also possibilities I S F White-browed and Large-billed Scrubwren, Grey Goshawk and both A NG Directions: ZURE KI Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos. Turn off Mackay-Eungella Road, 60km west of 8. Sandringham Reserve, Mackay (1km east of Finch Hatton) and continue 11km to the picnic Dunrock area. Access to the gorge is along dirt roads with multiple creek Other birding sites worth visiting: crossings. (Beware vehicle access may be restricted after high rainfall • The Gooseponds - Malcomson Street, North Mackay Key Species: due to fast flowing streams). The gorge consists of open woodland N I White-browed Robin, White-eared Monarch, merging to sub-tropical rainforest. There are birds along the road in, • Rosewood Drive Reserve (Plantation Palms Wetland Trail) - B Shining Flycatcher, Sacred Kingfisher, Rosewood Drive, Rural View O as well as the tracks in the National Park. R Mangrove and Yellow Honeyeater, Eastern D • Kommo Toera Trail - Keeleys Road, Slade Point E Osprey, Black-necked Stork, Rufous Fantail, OW • Slade Point Reserve - Teal Street, Slade Point WHITE-BR Striated Heron, Mangrove Robin and waders. 11 - 15. Eungella area • Kinchant Dam - Kinchant Dam Road, North Eton Directions: Key Species: (42km west of Mackay) Turn left at Chelona (10.2km south of Mackay) onto Dunrock Eungella Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, R Road and continue east for a further 4.2km. E • Rocky Dam Creek - Landings Rd, Koumala (67km S of Mackay) T Noisy Pitta, Regent Bowerbird, Brolga, The reserve carpark is on the right. Please note: No toilet facilities. A E Red-backed Button-quail, Grey Goshawk.
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