Australian Good Birding Guide: Northern Queensland. Ted Wnorowski
to the site, check the wetlands on both sides of the road. With sufficient water, usually there will be plenty of Magpie Geese, Royal Spoonbills, Brolgas and Black-fronted Dotterels. Black-necked Storks are often observed. Stop when you see a patch of bush with plenty of Burdekin plums. When fruiting, Brown Cuckoo-Doves and Channel-billed Cuckoos should be there.
Walking along the levee to the old landing, in the freshwater swamp you may find White-browed Crake, Comb-crested Jacana, Green Pygmy-goose, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Little Grassbird and Australian Reed-Warbler. Sometimes the freshwater swamp is filled to the brim with Magpie Geese, up to 2,000 birds were recorded. In the saltmarshes on the other side of the levee, there may be Little Egret, Pied Stilt, Pacific Golden Plover, Red-capped Plover and Brolga. Whiskered Terns, Australian Gull-billed Terns, Caspian Terns and White-winged Black Terns are often observed hunting over the swamps.
A group of Caspian Terns with a single White-winged Black Tern (in the middle),
one Australian Gull-billed Tern and one Silver Gull
We found four Australian Yellow White-eyes in the mangroves near the old landing. There was also a pair of Shining Flycatchers busy repairing a nest. Other findings along the creek included Olive-backed Sunbird, Large-billed Gerygone, Sacred Kingfisher, Dusky Honeyeater and Spectacled Monarch.
In the mangroves near the boat ramp at the end of the road, we sighted a pair of Mangrove Robins. On the mudflats were Little Egret, Great Egret, Striated Heron and the usual raptors (Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle) roosting in trees.
Alva Beach
Alva Beach is a relaxed coastal village located 16km northeast of Ayr. Mudflats and sandflats off the beach are a fantastic place for observations of the waders, particularly when they are feeding along the shore 1-2 hours after high tide. The sandspit is used by them later for roosting. Other habitats there include mangroves, saltmarshes, wetlands and grassland along Beach Rd.
To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) in north Ayr turn east into Burke St (signposted to a boat ramp). The road will change name to Beach Rd. The section of this road in Alva Beach is called Sandowns St, from where you’ll have access to extensive sandflats and the sandspit. From Sandowns St continue onto Causeway Rd, then on a track leading to Lynch Beach where you’ll find another good vantage point for the observation of the waders.
Over 180 bird species have been recorded in Alva Beach. Key species are the waders (including Beach Stone-curlew), Zitting Cisticola, Shining Flycatcher, Little Tern and White-winged Black Tern. Other birds of interest include Black Butcherbird, Forest Kingfisher, White-eared Monarch, Yellow Honeyeater, Green Pygmy-goose, Black-necked Stork, Brolga, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon and Osprey. Among the rarities are Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Grey Plover, Common Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Australasian Shoveler, Plum-headed Finch and Black-tailed Native-hen.
A small population of Zitting Cisticolas resides near Alva Beach. Look for them on the cattle paddocks around the township and saltmarshes along Causeway Rd.
In the bushland along Alva Beach, you may see Dusky Honeyeater, Black Butcherbird, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Great Bowerbird, White-eared Monarch, Golden Whistler, White-browed Robin, Yellow-throated Miner and Blue-winged Kookaburra. Rainbow Bee-eaters often roost in their hundreds on the foreshore.
White-winged Black Terns are regularly found in good numbers in March-April, often in their beautiful breeding plumage.
Twenty eight species of waders have been found at this site. On Alva Beach, Beach Stone-curlew is a regular feature. Common waders here include Pacific Golden Plover, Whimbrel, Far Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Great Knot, Greater Sand Plover and Lesser Sand Plover. On Lynch Beach you may see Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Grey-tailed Tattler and Red-capped Plover. At the saltmarshes in Causeway Rd, Red-necked Avocets are occasionally found in huge numbers.
Red-necked Avocets
Wetlands surrounding Beach Rd are good for Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Red-kneed Dotterel, Black-tailed Godwit and Latham’s Snipe.
About 1.5km from Alva Beach, on the eastern side of Beach Rd you’ll see a lovely waterhole, covered with water lilies. Site GPS coordinates are 19o28’22’’S and 147o27’58’’E. Green Pygmy-geese and Comb-crested Jacanas are regularly there. You may also get Hardhead, Hoary-headed Grebe, Glossy Ibis, White-browed Crake, Marsh Sandpiper, Red-kneed Dotterel, Latham’s Snipe and Brolga. This is the place where Eastern Yellow Wagtails were recorded in December 2012.
A large wetland is situated along Beach Rd about 4-5km before Alva Beach. Site GPS coordinates are 19o29’10’’S and 147o26’53’’E. After heavy rains, the wetland spills onto both sides of the road and thousands of waterbirds arrive including Pied Stilts, Grey Teals, Australian White Ibises and Royal Spoonbills. Among them there will be Glossy Ibises, Brolgas, White-necked Herons, Black-necked Storks, etc.
Coming back from Alva Beach, we observed a paddock being ploughed. Flocks of Australian Gull-billed Terns, Whiskered Terns and Black Kites were following the tractor. A flock of Brolgas was picking morsels from the freshly turned soil. A pair of White-bellied Sea-Eagles was flying very low over the field, apparently finding some opportunities for themselves, too.
Lilliesmere Lagoon
Lilliesmere Lagoon is a freshwater wetland which is essential for irrigation and also utilised by masses of birds. The site is located on the outskirts of Ayr between Lilliesmere Rd and Beach Rd. The large area of the water surface is covered by pink lilies and water hyacinth. Cumbungi and sedges line the shore.
To get there, from Bruce Hwy (A1) in north Ayr turn east into Burke St. The road will change name to Beach Rd. Take left into Barr St to get to the lagoon. Site coordinates are 19o30’07’’S and 147o23’51’’E.
Key species is Cotton Pygmy-goose; flocks up to 50 birds are seen here regularly year-round. This is also a roosting site for Nankeen Night-Herons, look for them in trees along Barr St and any trees around the lagoon. The site is also a favourite place for Magpie Geese, returning for the night rest after wreaking havoc the whole day on the surrounding cropland. Red-backed Kingfishers can be regularly seen in winter. Other birds of interest include Comb-crested Jacana, Australasian Grebe, Black-necked Stork, Hardhead, White-breasted Woodswallow, Rainbow Bee-eater, Swamp Harrier and White-bellied Sea-Eagle.
Red-backed Kingfisher
Burstall Road Farm Lagoon
To get there, from Beach Rd near Lilliesmere Lagoon turn into Burstall Rd. The lagoon is located on the south side of Burstall Rd before reaching Schrank Rd. GPS coordinates are 19o31’56’’S and 147o26’28’’E.
Plumed Whistling-Ducks gather on the banks of this lagoon in their thousands. Also, a variety of other common waterbirds favour this site including Hoary-headed Grebe, Royal Spoonbill and Hardhead. Common Sandpipers are regular visitors.
Peggy Bog Road
To get there, drive Burstall Rd to a T-junction, then turn left into Peggy Bog Rd. You’ll find a fantastic area of cumbungi and reeds on the right near the end of this road. GPS coordinates are 19o31’01’’S and 147o29’10’’E.
When we visited there, a pair of Brolgas had a half-grown chick in tow. Magpie Geese were also nesting in the swamp. White-browed Crakes were skulking between the clumps of cumbungi. We also sighted Marsh Sandpiper, Latham’s