John Thompson - some recent pics

OCTOBER OUTING

NB -  Change of date The October outing will be held on the second Saturday of October [rather than the first] - 10 OCTOBER

The October outing will be a mini twitch!

My cunning plan involves starting at 7am at the state school in Mapleton.

Teams [minimum 2 – maximum of 4] would be decided only then and each team would have to quickly plan and participate in a day long birding programme that would finish at Mapleton [Tavern?] at 6pm.

If members are unwilling to commit to birding all day then I suggest they can quickly design a morning’s birding programme, again starting in Mapleton.

Obviously the plan would involve visiting as many different sites between the range and the coasts as possible. [For your interest high tide at Toorbul is 2pm on the day]. Participation fee for the day would be $20 per person with the funds going to the Grasswren project.

The rules of the twitch are that all recorded species must receive a 100% identification by a minimum of 50% of the team. Birds may be identified visually or by call / song.

There will be no prizes for winning our twitch but your name and photo will be immortalised on our blog!!

 Please email me asap to register your interest in participating. friarbird43@bigpond.com

SEPTEMBER WALK REPORT

Male Scarlet Honeyeater [Paul Jensen]

Discover the Heritage Buderim Tramway Walk 

There once was a train track which ran from Palmwoods to Buderim Central. You can read more about this on the Tramway History page. The original rails and sleepers were removed but a wonderful walk has been developed along a section of the original right-of-way owned by Council.  The walk starts from the corner of Mons Road and Telco Road in Buderim.

Female Golden Whistler [Paul Jensen]

The development of the walking track is a project of the Buderim-Palmwoods Heritage Tramway Inc and is supported by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

The existing Council easement is 2000m (4000m return) and is a wonderful stroll through the regrowth forest.

 There are points of interest along the way and an information brochure is available at the Information Shelter at the base of the access ramp, or from the Old Post Office and other tourist sites around Buderim.

find out more about the walk at http://www.buderim.qld.au/tram/historic-tramway-walk/

This walk was a new one for the club and for many its existence was a revelation. A good number of people came out for an enjoyable walk under a beautiful sky and we cobbled together a list of recorded species just over the half tonne - although many of these were heard only.

Brown Cuckoo Dove [Paul Jensen] 

Display co-ordinator needed

Dear all,

Planning has already begun for the two main displays ‘hosted’ by our birding group – Maleny Wood expo and the Nambour Garden Expo. And correspondence has started to be received. As it stands I will be absent for the Maleny Wood Expo.

As stated previously I would like to pass on the responsibility for co-ordinating displays and volunteers for these two displays to another member.

The responsibilities will include

• Correspondence between Birdlife Australia – SE Queensland and the organising committees
• Organising the pick-up of interpretive materials from Brisbane [and its return]
• Organising a schedule of volunteers to be ‘on hand’ during the days.

I will retain the responsibilities of organising and leading the majority of the outings [including weekend aways, the blog, emails, attending meetings in Brisbane on an annual basis etc etc. My schedule, including taxi driver to a young family, full time work, means that I have limited time to meet all of our local Sunshine Coast sub branch’s requirements.

If someone [or several folk] do not come forward we may have to give up these useful occasions for public education and publicity.  And we may have to invent other occasions for the promotion of birds, birding and bird conservation.

Cheers and please consider