Birdwatching Mackay and Pioneer Valley

Eungella Honeyeater on Climbing Pandan by Steve Dew

1. Mackay Regional Botanic GardensKey Species: Comb-crested Jacana, Nankeen Night-Heron, Cotton Pygmy-goose, Pale-vented Bush-hen, Olive-backed Sunbird, Olive-backed Oriole.

Directions: Located on the left-hand side of Nebo Road, coming into Mackay from the south. Main entry (and carpark) is off Lagoon Street.

Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens is established around part of Lagoons Creek and focuses on flora from the Central Queensland Coast but also showcases other Australian natives and exotics. The gardens provide an ideal habitat for bush birds and a number of water bird species make use of the permanent water in the lagoons. Birdlife Mackay undertake a monthly survey of the Botanic Gardens (last Friday of each month at 6.30am from the café deck), which is open to the public.

2. Sandfly Creek, East MackayKey Species:

Eastern Curlew, Mangrove Honeyeater, Mangrove Gerygone, Brown Quail, Black Butcherbird, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Golden-headed Cisticola.

Directions: Accessed from either the eastern end of River Street or the eastern end of East Gordon Street.

This site includes a 2km (4km return) concrete path, which runs from the boat ramp on River Street at the

eastern side of the City Centre through to East Gordon Street. Search for the Mangrove Honeyeater and Mangrove Gerygone in the mangroves adjacent to the path, waders including Grey-tailed Tattler, Eastern Curlew, Australian Pied and Sooty Oystercatcher along the river bank, seabirds over the river and bush birds including Golden-headed Cisticola, White-breasted Woodswallow and Double-barred Finch along the path. Brown Quail feed early mornings along path edges closer to the East Gordon Street end. Rainbow Bee-eater dig nests close to the path in late spring.

3. Shellgrit Creek, South MackayKey Species: Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Pacific Golden Plover, Double-banded Plover (winter), Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Knot.

Directions: From Bridge Road, turn right into Beverley Street, left into Petrie Street, and right into Illawong Drive. Continue about 1km to the reserve entry sign.

A pathway leads through dune grasslands to an observation point at the beach. This area provides an important high tide migratory and resident shorebird roost for over 20 wader species and various terns. There is also generally good birding for forest and wetland birds on the path to the beach and along Illawong Drive.

4. Blacks Beach Spit, Blacks BeachKey Species: Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, White-eared Monarch, Beach Stone-curlew, Olive-backed Oriole, Olive-backed Sunbird and waders.

Directions: From Blacks Beach Road at Blacks Beach, continue east for 1.8km and then turn right into Pacific Drive. After 0.75km turn left into Anglers Parade and continue to the car park at its eastern end.

A 2.2km sandy walking track (4.4km return) through coastal forest and foredunes leads to McCreadys Creek inlet. The coastal frontage provides an important turtle nesting site as well as intertidal roosts for shorebirds.

5. Bucasia Esplanade, BucasiaKey Species: Barking Owl, Striated Pardalote, Rainbow Bee-eater, Radjah Shelduck, Sacred Kingfisher, Mangrove Honeyeater, Mangrove Gerygone, Eastern Reef Egret, Eastern Osprey, Brahminy Kite and waders including Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed Tattler, Terek Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit.

Directions: From Mackay-Bucasia Road, turn right into Downie Avenue just before the Bucasia Shopping Centre and then right again after 1km onto Bucasia Esplanade.

Bucasia Boat Ramp at the eastern end of Bucasia Esplanade can be a great place to see Striated Pardalote as they nest in the bank to the left of the ramp. Other species common here include Rainbow Bee-eater, Gull-billed, Crested, and in season, Little Tern and a variety of waders.

Seaview Park is located on the western side of Bucasia Beachfront Caravan Resort and is good for Rajah Shelduck, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Dollarbird (summer), Bush Stone-curlew and often Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Barking Owl sometimes roost in beach almond trees in this park.

6. Cape HillsboroughKey Species: Pacific Emerald Dove, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Bush Stone-curlew, Forest Kingfisher.

Directions: Drive north from Mackay on the Pacific Coast Way (Bruce Highway) and travel 21km to The Leap and then turn right onto Yakapari-Seaforth Road. Turn right after about 19km onto Cape Hillsborough Road and continue 9.3km to Cape Hillsborough National Park.

Cape Hillsborough includes rainforest, coastal forest, beaches, rocky headlands and mangroves. A carpark on the right after entering the National Park provides access to the Cape Hillsborough National Park Diversity Boardwalk loop track. Search here for Mangrove Honeyeater,

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White-throated Honeyeater, Fairy Gerygone and Rufous Fantail on the boardwalk and Little Shrike-thrush and Noisy Pitta in the adjoining rainforest. Continue to the coast to search for Great Bowerbird, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Tawny Frogmouth in the adjacent forest and waders along the beach. A track (Hidden Valley Road) behind the Cape Hillsborough Tourist Park leads to further rainforest and coastline birding areas.

7. Finlayson Point, SeaforthKey Species: Blue-winged Kookaburra, Mangrove Gerygone, Brahminy Kite, Beach Stone-curlew, Shining Flycatcher and waders.

Directions: Proceed to Seaforth and turn left onto Palm Avenue. Continue along for about 2.4km and turn right into an unnamed single vehicle track (first on right after Hibiscus Street) and follow to a basic car parking area at the end. Search the shoreline for waders and raptors or follow a track through forest and mangrove fringes off to the west (left) for bush and mangrove species.

8. Sandringham Reserve, DunrockKey Species: White-browed Robin, White-eared Monarch, Shining Flycatcher, Sacred Kingfisher, Mangrove and Yellow Honeyeater, Eastern

Osprey, Black-necked Stork, Rufous Fantail, Striated Heron, Mangrove Robin and waders.

Directions: Turn left at Chelona (10.2km south of Mackay) onto Dunrock

Road and continue east for a further 4.2km. The reserve carpark is on the right. Please note: No toilet facilities.

The area is part of a nationally important wetland and contains a wide range of habitat including mangroves, coastal forest, salt flats and Melaleuca swamps. A 2km loop walking track (with a short unsigned offshoot track to Sandy Creek) leaves from the carpark (Remember insect repellent). Also search the tidal bay shoreline around the adjacent town of Dunrock and the boat ramp. Eastern Grass Owl is a possibility in the grassland and cane land to the west of the reserve.

9. DeMoleyns Lagoon, MarianKey Species: Bar-breasted Honeyeater, Nankeen Night-Heron, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin, Golden-headed Cisticola, Leaden Flycatcher, Brush Cuckoo, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Dollarbird (summer) and Red-backed Fairy-wren.

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Directions: Head west along Mackay-Eungella Road through Marian and turn left about 4.7km from the Marian Sugar Mill onto Brand Road. Continue to a gate at the DeMoleyns Lagoon Reserve where parking is available adjacent to the waste transfer station. A track from the gate leads down to the lagoon. Please note: No toilet facilities.

DeMoleyns is a seasonally inundated Melaleuca wetland/lagoon surrounded mostly by cane farms. It is a hotspot for many wetland birds with Egrets, Darters, Cormorants and the Bar-breasted Honeyeater breeding in the Melaleucas. Access around the lagoon can be difficult in the wet season after rain and areas around the lagoon may be overgrown after wet periods.

10. Finch Hatton Gorge, Finch HattonKey Species: Wompoo, Rose-crowned and Superb Fruit-Dove, Pacific Emerald Dove, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Azure Kingfisher, White-browed Scrubwren, Australian King-Parrot and other rainforest species. Little Kingfisher, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher (Nov-March), White-eared Monarch and Barred Cuckoo-shrike are also possibilities

Directions: Turn off Mackay-Eungella Road, 60km west of Mackay (1km east of Finch Hatton) and continue 11km to the picnic area. Access to the gorge is along dirt roads with multiple creek crossings. (Beware vehicle access may be restricted after high rainfall due to fast flowing streams). The gorge consists of open woodland merging to sub-tropical rainforest. There are birds along the road in, as well as the tracks in the National Park.

11 - 15. Eungella area Key Species: Eungella Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Noisy Pitta, Regent Bowerbird, Brolga, Red-backed Button-quail, Grey Goshawk.

Directions: Located at the head of the Pioneer Valley

(Mackay-Eungella Road), 85km west of Mackay. The best places for birding are:

11. Eungella Township Button-quail are regularly seen under the street lights at night and in a small park opposite the kindergarten in North Street. Also search for Scarlet Honeyeater and other rainforest species in the North Street Park and around the forest fringes in the town.

12. Diggings Road Turn off Eungella Dam Road onto Diggings Road (gravel), 1.5km from Eungella township. Search the Climbing Pandan in the rainforest along Diggings Road for Eungella Honeyeater and other rainforest species. There is a campground at The Diggings, 5km further on.

13. Chelmans Road The best place to find Eungella Honeyeater is to head out of Eungella township on Dalrymple Road for approximately 15km where Chelmans Road is on the left. Continue down Chelmans Road until it ends at the National Park entrance. Climbing Pandan flowers, seen from the clearing in Spring, is the Eungella Honeyeater’s favourite food. Walking along the track in the National Park will provide other rainforest species including Regent Bowerbird, Superb and Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Monarchs and Rufous Fantail.

14. Broken River There is a National Park campground and commercial accommodation at Broken River 6.6km from Eungella township along Eungella Dam Road. Search around the café and picnic grounds to see Scarlet Honeyeater, Noisy Pitta, Russet-tailed Thrush, Eastern Yellow Robin and other rainforest species. There are also a number of National Park walks from Broken River and platypus viewing decks here.

15. Old Crediton Hall Continue on Eungella Dam Road from Broken River for about 3kms and then veer left onto Crediton Loop Road. After another 7kms there is a campground at the Old Hall with drop toilets. Walk the roads around the Old Hall and campground for Monarchs, Red-browed Finch, Regent Bowerbird, Wompoo and Superb Fruit-Dove, Golden Whistler, White-browed and Large-billed Scrubwren, Grey Goshawk and both Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos.

Other birding sites worth visiting:• The Gooseponds - Malcomson Street, North Mackay

• Rosewood Drive Reserve (Plantation Palms Wetland Trail) - Rosewood Drive, Rural View

• Kommo Toera Trail - Keeleys Road, Slade Point

• Slade Point Reserve - Teal Street, Slade Point

• Kinchant Dam - Kinchant Dam Road, North Eton (42km west of Mackay)

• Rocky Dam Creek - Landings Rd, Koumala (67km S of Mackay)

• St Lawrence Wetlands - St Lawrence Rd (160km S of Mackay)

Situated roughly 950km north of Brisbane and 150km south of the Whitsundays, Mackay is a major regional city in Central Queensland. Mackay services sugar, cattle and coal mining industries. From coastal beaches to mangrove-lined creeks to eucalypt woodlands and subtropical rainforest, the Mackay area is home to over 240 species of birds.

For more info visit:birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-mackay

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