Sunshine Coast Environmental Action - Assistance Required!!

Action to save Yandina Creek Wetlands  The Yandina Creek Wetlands, on Queensland’s Sunshine coast, are nationally significant – and currently under threat of draining for intensive agriculture use. At risk, is an area of marvellous wetland habitat that supports over 150 birds species, including Nationally-listed Australian Painted Snipe (Endangered), Curlew Sandpiper (Migratory and Critically Endangered), Latham’s Snipe (Migratory) and 10 other species of migratory shorebirds. The Yandina Creek Wetland system includes three private properties totalling about 200 hectares – located between River Road and Yandina-Coolum Road in the Sunshine Coast suburb of Yandina Creek. Previously farmed for sugar cane, the land has not been used for 10 years. Shallow water created from years of unmanaged tidal flooding has seen the restoration of a habitat that occurred widely in the area before development, creating a rich abundance of birdlife and native vegetation. Landholders have recently indicated their intention to drain this land to make way for sugar cane farming. A nomination was made to Sunshine Coast Council requesting acquisition of this land for conservation purposes. Last week, despite BirdLife’s advice to the contrary, the Council confirmed that it would not acquire the property due to a lack of significant environmental values, without any formal assessment of the wetlands being made. Evidence suggests that drainage works may have already commenced. We are calling on BirdLife Queensland supporters to add their voice to the campaign to save this nationally significant wetland by contacting the Mayor of Sunshine Coast Council, Cr Mark Jamieson, to raise your concerns: You can send an email using this letter template Contact on facebook or twitter @JamiesonMark  @CouncilSCC using #YandinaWetlands Or call Cr Jamieson directly on: (07) 5441 8242 BirdLife Australia has contacted both the Queensland and Federal Governments and both appear eager to help protect the wetlands where they can.  Pending the outcome of these negotiations, it is now a matter of urgency that the Council acts to prevent any drainage works on the property. Help us take action today.         For more infromation please see Greg Robert's website; http://sunshinecoastbirds.blogspot.com.au/ Birdlife Australia, National Office Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester Street Carlton VIC 3053 T 03 9347 0757 | info@birdlife.org.au To unsubscribe please click here a a ABN 75 149 124 774

May Outing - Curramore Road

Dear all

A late notice regarding this Saturday’s outing.

Please meet at 7am at the corner of Curramore and Ekert Roads, near Witta [west of Maleny]. Park on the road edges. We will be birding along Curramore Road and into Thorne Road. This area has been recognised for its conservation virtues as it is adjacent to both Maleny National Park and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s property named Curramore. For a little information about Curramore specifically and AWC’s great work in protecting Australian biodiversity please visit the AWC website.

Myself and John Birbeck, environmental officer with Sunshine Coast Council, will be leading the walk and John will be able to tell us more about the conservation work occurring in this area.

As usual please bring a chair, morning tea, good humour and patience. Insect repellent may be useful.

Please consider visiting the Maleny Wood Expo after the walk and check out the Birdlife Australia display as well as many other items of interest.

Cheers now and hope to see you on Saturday!

Ken Cross

Mid-week outing – 15 April - Maroochydore Botanical Garden

Mid-week outing – 15 April - 8 am - Maroochydore Botanical Garden - Leader - John Malings

Directions for Maroochy  Botanical Gardens for Weds 15th April, meet at 8am in the car park at entrance to Gardens. UBD P 18, detailed description on Maroochy Botanical Gardens web site

Toorbul - the other day........

Bar-tailed Godwits - Bribie Island bridge in the background.

Rain had scared many away however a modest sized group made the journey to Toorbul and while there was, perhaps, a smaller than expected group of waders at the high tide roost - it was still very much a worthwhile morning.

Some of our non damp group

Whimbrel and the occasional Bar-tailed Godwit

It is like they say; a bad day in Torrbul is still a pretty good day. [I don't claim to know who they are..] As expected many of the migratory waders had begun moulting into their breeding finery; brick red Bar-tailed Godwits mingled with their non-breeding grey comrades, Grey-tailed Tattlers had begun barring up on their bellies, an almost solitary two Red-necked Stints proved that their name was not a lie nor an exaggeration, Great Knots were Great [Red Knots invisible], and Greenshanks were starting to change also. Whimbrels were there in good numbers while a fewer numbers of their longer billed cousins, Eastern Curlews added to our list.

Royal Spoonbill

Black-winged Stilts and Pelicans

Missing were Black-tailed Godwits or many of the smaller waders or plovers. Conspicuous by their [already] absence were Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.

Lone Chestnut Teal

Resident species; Pelicans, Black-winged Stilts, a lone Chestnut Teal plus a lazy 300 Black Swan were also seen as were the Mangrove treble; Gerygone, Honeyeater and Kingfisher.

Mangrove [or Collared] Kingfisher 

Mangrove Gerygone

Toorbul High Tide Roost, AU-QLD

Apr 4, 2015 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Protocol: Traveling

2.0 kilometer(s)

Comments:     overcast day

58 species

Black Swan  302

Chestnut Teal  1

Little Egret

Pied Cormorant  1

Little Pied Cormorant  1

Australian Pelican  20

White-faced Heron  4

Little Egret  8

Australian White Ibis  21

Royal Spoonbill  22

Whistling Kite  1

Brahminy Kite  2

White-bellied Sea-Eagle  1

Black-winged Stilt (Australian)  66

Australian Pied Oystercatcher  12

Masked Lapwing  12

Grey-tailed Tattler  144

Common Greenshank  12

Whimbrel  105

Eastern Curlew  5

Bar-tailed Godwit  120

Great Knot  8

Red-necked Stint  2

Silver Gull  6

Gull-billed Tern  1

Caspian Tern  4

Crested Tern  1

Spotted Dove  4

Crested Pigeon  4

Bar-shouldered Dove  2

Laughing Kookaburra  3

Collared Kingfisher  2

Sacred Kingfisher  1

Rainbow Bee-eater  8

Galah  3

Australian King-Parrot  2

Pale-headed Rosella  3

Rainbow Lorikeet  6

Lewin's Honeyeater  1

Mangrove Honeyeater  4

Noisy Miner  12

Brown Honeyeater  3

Blue-faced Honeyeater  6

Striated Pardalote  3

Mangrove Gerygone  2

White-breasted Woodswallow  6

Grey Butcherbird  2

Pied Butcherbird  6

Australian Magpie  10

Black-faced Cuckooshrike  1

Grey Shrike-Thrush  3

Golden Whistler  1

Rufous Whistler  1

Australasian Figbird  8

Willie Wagtail  6

Magpie-lark  6

Torresian Crow  8

Welcome Swallow  6

Mistletoebird  2

Photos taken on the day and supplied by John Thompson!

Toorbul Tomorrow!

We are planning a trip to Toorbul on the 4 April to Farewell the [Waders] Shorebirds.  Toorbul is an excellent birding location on the east coast looking towards Bribie Island. There is a mix of woodland species but it is best known for migratory waders and a mix of mangrove species. Drive slowly around the town as there are large numbers of Eastern Grey Kangaroos. There will be experienced birders there to assist your identification of these, sometimes difficult, species.

Meet at 8am at the southern end of the Esplanade. 

Depending on numbers we may split up into different groups to do a variety of locations in and around Toorbul. It is our chance to Wave the Shorebirds goodbye and there should be some waders beginning to show their [Northern Hemisphere] summer finery!!

Hope to see you there!

Park Lakes Outing, Bli Bli

Spotless Crake

Our March outing to Park Lakes again proved that this surbirban area is a bit of a biridng hotspot with over seventy species being recorded. Many of the difficult species were not seen save Spotless Crake. This secretive species was seen by only one of our group who did what birders should do and got up very early. His keeness saw him rewarded with three sperate sightings. The rest of the group witnessed where it was!

Other good species were seen. Cicadabird, both male and female, were seen well. Wandering Whistling Ducks and Plumed seemed to have both bred nearby and there was a good flyby of

Wandering Whistling Ducks

a large flock of Plumed. Two Magpie Geese flew over but they stubbornly did not grace the ponds with their presence. Great views of Double-barred Finches proved to be a [temporary] walk stopper.

Pictures were supplied by John Thompson and Warren Bennett.

Great Knot with great twit

The following report is from Ebird; 

Park Lakes, Bli Bli, AU-QLD

Mar 7, 2015 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Protocol: Traveling

3.0 kilometer(s)

Comments:     monthly outing for group

72 species

Magpie Goose  2

DB Finches stopping progress

Plumed Whistling-Duck  40

Wandering Whistling-Duck  6

Australian Wood Duck  32

Pacific Black Duck  12

Little Black Cormorant  1

Little Pied Cormorant  2

Australasian Darter  1

White-faced Heron  2

Cattle Egret  1

Nankeen Night-Heron  1

Australian White Ibis  5

Whistling Kite  1

Spotless Crake  3

Purple Swamphen  6

Dusky Moorhen  12

Eurasian Coot  2

Masked Lapwing  2

Black-fronted Dotterel  2

Spotted Dove  10

Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Australian)  2

Crested Pigeon  3

Bar-shouldered Dove  2

Australian Koel  1

Channel-billed Cuckoo  1

Azure Kingfisher  2

Laughing Kookaburra  2

DB Finches

Forest Kingfisher  1

Rainbow Bee-eater  6

Galah  5

Little Corella  2

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo  3

Pale-headed Rosella  2

Rainbow Lorikeet  12

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet  6

Red-backed Fairy-wren  1

Lewin's Honeyeater  2

Noisy Miner  2

Little Wattlebird  12

Brown Honeyeater  12

White-cheeked Honeyeater  1

White-throated Honeyeater  4

Blue-faced Honeyeater  6

Noisy Friarbird  5

Striated Pardalote  4

Eastern Whipbird  1

White-breasted Woodswallow  3

Grey Butcherbird  1

Pied Butcherbird  2

Australian Magpie  6

Pied Currawong  4

Black-faced Cuckooshrike  2

Varied Triller  1

Common Cicadabird  2

Birders birding - more or less

Grey Shrike-Thrush  1

Golden Whistler  4

Olive-backed Oriole  1

Australasian Figbird  12

Spangled Drongo  1

Willie Wagtail  10

Magpie-lark  10

Leaden Flycatcher  2

Torresian Crow  6

Eastern Yellow Robin  1

Welcome Swallow  6

Fairy Martin  2

Silvereye  4

Mistletoebird  1

Red-browed Finch  2

Double-barred Finch  6

Scaly-breasted Munia  2

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin  2

 

Bird Call et el

March and April Outings

Saturday outing - 7 March– 7 am - Park Lakes, Bli Bli – possible extensions to Maroochy Wetland Sanctuary - Leader/ s - Ken Cross and John Birbeck.

Meet at 7am. From Bli Bli, turn north into Willis Rd, follow the main road [it changes into Thomas Road]. At the roundabout turn left into Park Lakes Drive. Follow this road through several roundabouts until the end. Near the end of the road there is a park on the right. We will meet here and begin our walk. A good mix of habitat and spp. Little Bitterns have recently bred here and a few crake spp have been regularly seen.
Referdex Map 57 9P



Next Outing - April 4 - Toorbul is an excellent birding location on the east coast looking towards Bribie Island. There is a mix of woodland species but it is best known for migratory waders and a mix of mangrove species. Drive slowly around the town as there are large numbers of Eastern Grey Kangaroos.

Meet at 8am at the southern end of the Esplanade. 

Depending on numbers we may split up nto different groups to do a variety of locations in and around Toorbul. It is our chance to Wave the Shorebirds goodbye and there should be some waders beginning to show their [Northern Hemisphere] summer finery!!