August Outing Report - London Creek Environmental Park

Grey Shrike Thrush

Our August outing took us to another Sunshine Council Reserve – London Creek Environmental Reserve.
This reserve had been identified as important habitat through Council’s Biodiversity Strategy and was purchased in 2010 using monies obtained through the excellent environmental levy scheme which is supported by rate payers. The reserve protects a variety of habitat including Eucalypt Forest and acacia woodland plus remnant riverine vegetation including rain forest.

The reserve, with adjacent reserves, forms a large area of continuous habitat that protects a range of biodiversity as well as offering protection for the London Creek Catchment itself. Further the cleared areas on the purchased property have been the subject of revegetation through the efforts and commitment of Energex as part of their environmental offset agreements.

male Golden Whistler

Anyone interested in Bird conservation would acknowledge that protection of natural habitats is the key to the success. Connectivity between protected areas of habitat and expansion of these areas through revegetation and natural succession is also very important. Sunshine Coast Council is to be congratulated for their efforts thus far.

A special thanks is also due to John Birbeck – our man on Council. John is a Principal Environmental Officer and had arranged permissions to visit the site, gave us a briefing about the reserve, its environmental features and its history, and, most importantly he got the key!

A cool winter’s morning met us as did a cooler breeze however the sky was blue and weather slowly warmed up. The birds were a little quiet however all in all we recorded some 56 species; a commendable effort at a single site particularly as it was winter and windy.

The following species were recorded;

Pacific Black Duck, White-headed Pigeon, Wompoo Pigeon, Bar-shouldered Dove, Peaceful Dove,

Pale-yellow Robin

Straw-necked Ibis, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Rainbow Lorikeet, King Parrot, Crimson and Pale-headed Rosellas, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Laughing Kookaburra, White-throated Treecreeper, Satin Bowerbird, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren, Large-billed Scrubwren, Brown Gerygone, White-throated Gerygone, Striated Thornbill, Brown Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Striated Pardalote, Eastern Spinebill, Lewin’s, Scarlet, Dusky, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters,  Eastern Whipbird, Varied Triller, Golden and Rufous Whistlers, Little and Grey Shrike-thrushes, Grey Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Grey and Rufous Fantails,  Torresian Crow,  Restless Flycatcher, Rose Robin, Eastern Yellow and Pale –yellow Robins, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Fairy Martin, Red-browed Finch.

Pale-yellow Robin

Birdlife Australia Sunshine Coast had visited this site before, most recently in July 2013, recording 52 species. Within that list the following additional species, unrecorded today,  were recorded then; Brown Quail, Australasian Grebe, Purple Swamphen Dusky Moorhen, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Rainbow Bee-eater, Regent Bowerbird, Bell Miner, Logrunner, Pied Butcherbird, Willie Wagtail, Russet-tailed Thrush, Double-barred Finch.

Thanks to all the 32 Birdlife members who came out for a pleasant morning’s stroll around, what was for me a new birding site.

All photos accompanying this report were taken by John Thompson during the outing.

[A request for any pictures taken on the outing and / or photos of any of the species above please email them to me at friarbird43@bigpond.com ] 

Large billed Scrub-wren