Australian Good Birding Guide: Northern Queensland. Ted Wnorowski
along the beach, and you can watch the waders from there. Look for Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Sooty Oystercatcher, Whimbrel, Red-capped Plover and Common Greenshank.
Mangrove Honeyeaters are resident in the mangroves. Other birds found in the area include Eastern Reef Egret, Little Egret, White-breasted Woodswallow, Great Bowerbird, Olive-backed Oriole, Dusky Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote and Brahminy Kite.
Striated Pardalote
Molongle Creek Mouth
At this site search for the Australian Yellow White-eye. To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) about 40km northwest of Bowen turn into Molongle Beach Rd and drive 6km on a sealed road to the creek mouth. GPS coordinates at the turnoff from the highway are 19o53’03’’S and 147o42’10’’E.
Check the mangroves for the Australian Yellow White-eye at the creek mouth behind the Molongle Creek Caravan Park. Watch for the crocodiles. An approximate GPS position here is 19o50’16’’S and 147o42’01’’E. There are also sporadic records of Mangrove Golden Whistler from this site.
In the mangroves, look also for Mangrove Honeyeater, Dusky Honeyeater, Mangrove Gerygone, Shining Flycatcher and Collared Kingfisher (occasional sightings).
The creek mouth is a good high tide roost for the waders that stand on constantly shifting sandbars. Look for Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Far Eastern Curlew, Great Knot, Caspian Tern, Australian Gull-billed Tern, Little Tern and Little Egret. Brahminy Kite may circle over the mangroves.
In the surrounding coastal scrub, you may find Olive-backed Sunbird, Golden Whistler, Spectacled Monarch, Rufous Fantail, Spangled Drongo and Leaden Flycatcher. On farmland near the caravan park, look for Squatter Pigeons; they like to sunbathe on the road.
Wunjunga Wetlands
These spectacular wetlands are located along Beachmount Rd south of the Burdekin River mouth. To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) about 30km south of Ayr turn into Beachmount Rd and drive to the coast – the road is sealed. Approximate GPS coordinates at the turnoff are 19o47’13’’S and 147o31’35’’E. The wetlands are scattered along the 5km stretch of the road. The end section of this road is called Wunjunga Rd. It runs along the beach and leads to the Burdekin River mouth.
A mix of good bird habitats here includes freshwater wetlands, mangroves, coastal scrub, saltmarshes and beaches. The site became popular with birdwatchers in December 2018 when Little Ringed Plover decided to stay in the area for several months.
Over 110 bird species have been recorded at Wunjunga Wetlands. Key species are the waders, Zitting Cisticola, Black-necked Stork, Glossy Ibis, White-winged Black Tern, Little Tern, Cockatiel and Swamp Harrier. Other birds of interest include Brolga, Magpie Goose, Australian Bustard, Horsfield’s Bushlark, Brown Songlark, Black Butcherbird and Yellow Honeyeater. Rarities include Little Ringed Plover, Australian Pratincole, Oriental Pratincole, Baillon’s Crake, Australasian Shoveler and Peregrine Falcon.
Good birding happens along the whole 12km-long Beachmount Rd, from the junction with Bruce Hwy to the river mouth. The wetlands start about 5km from the turnoff from Bruce Hwy, after passing the third cattle grid. The famous Ring Plover was found in the area of that third cattle grid. It continues to visit every summer; last time it was recorded in March 2020.
We visited this site several times and the most spectacular visit was at the height of wet season in February 2020. Just at the turnoff from the highway, three Australian bustards welcomed us, close to the main road. Water was everywhere. The huge mass of birds on the flooded land resembled the Kakadu National Park at its best. The fields were white and black with thousands of white egrets, Royal Spoonbills and all three ibis species, even Glossy Ibis was plentiful (over 200 birds). In several places, the paved road was under the flowing water. The birds packed tightly at these points, picking up small fish and invertebrates carried with the current and clearly visible over the bitumen. White swarms of Whiskered Terns were hunting over the flooded land. Among them were several White-winged Black Terns, already in their pretty breeding plumage. Pied Stilts were nesting on temporary islands, formed by the rising water levels. Ducks and grebes dispersed far away from the road.
Fishing on the road at the Wunjunga Wetlands after heavy summer rains
At the end of summer, when the wetlands start to dry out, large numbers of waders can be found there, in particular Pied Stilt, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper and Red-capped Plover. It is a very good spot for Marsh Sandpiper that can be found in ditches along the road. Besides Whiskered Tern and White-winged Black Tern, you’ll also see Little Tern and Caspian Tern here. Black-necked Storks are a regular feature among the masses of waterbirds including Plumed Egrets, White-necked Herons, Magpie Geese and Black Swans. Occasionally, an enormous flock of Glossy Ibises (300-400 birds) may descend on the area.
In the wetlands near the fifth cattle grid, Baillon’s Crake and Latham’s Snipe were recorded. The former was also found at the second causeway after third cattle grid (when driving towards the coast).
Common birds in the grassland along the road include Horsfield’s Bushlark, Australasian Pipit, Brown Quail and Golden-headed Cisticola. Brolgas and Australian Bustards may be walking through the tall grass. Look for Zitting Cisticola in the saltmarshes along the road.
When you reach the beach, expect to see Greater Sand Plovers, Lesser Sand Plovers, Whimbrels and Far Eastern Curlews. In the vegetation on coastal dunes, look for Black Butcherbird, Varied Triller, Little Shrike-thrush and Shining Flycatcher.
Common raptors in the area include Swamp Harrier, Brown Falcon, Wedge-tailed Eagle and White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
Home Hill Area
Home Hill is a small town located on the south side of Burdekin River. Many good birding opportunities can be found in this area.
Ayr-Dalberg Road
The road runs along the northern banks of Burdekin River, the turnoff from Bruce Hwy (A1) is located 4km south of Ayr. Birding is good along this road, even if it runs mostly through sugar cane plantations and other cropland.
We stopped at the Rock Weir, a rocky island on the Burdekin River opposite the BQC Quarries. GPS coordinates are 19o42’12’’S and 147o17’32’’E. Little Eagle was flying over the river. Black-bellied Crimson Finches were foraging in the reeds. In the bushes were Leaden Flycatcher, Forest Kingfisher, White-throated Honeyeater, Spangled Drongo and Rainbow Bee-eater.
Next, we stopped near the irrigation reservoir on Ayr-Ravenswood Rd. The adjoining cane field was freshly harvested and there was a lot of bird activity there. There were hundreds of Pacific Black Ducks, Masked Lapwings, Whiskered Terns, Australian Gull-billed Terns, Great Egrets and White-faced Herons. In smaller numbers were Plumed Egrets and White-necked Herons.
Further down the road, a tractor was ploughing a stubble field. Trailing behind it were hundreds of Cattle Egrets, Torresian Crows, Black Kites and Straw-necked Ibises. Seeing all these birds on the fields brought us a few champagne moments.
Black Kite
In the scrub at the Eight Mile Creek crossing, we found Grey-crowned Babbler, Great Bowerbird, Sacred Kingfisher, Rufous Whistler and Leaden Flycatcher.
Kirknie Road
This 40km-long road starts in Home Hill and meanders through the farmland along