This will be BQ’s 40th outing to the island since 1970 and will be a full day outing visiting a number of areas on the island. The Island is a wonderful place to see a large variety of bird species and currently boasts an impressive list of around 336 species recorded there. Typically we find many nesting birds although recent years haven’t matched the nesting frenzy of 2020 but we still had over 100 species seen, please come along to help us keep the >100 tally intact this year. The large number is due to the variety of habitats the island supports. We will re-visit the sites we have been to before, giving us a comparison for the database on species recorded from previous outings.
We will start at 7.00 am at Buckley’s Hole and have a brief look at the waterbirds in the lagoon before we leave early (7.15 am) to walk along The Boulevard and down Red Beach Road while the birds are still calling. With the tide on the way out after a fairly low 1.5m high tide at 4.30 am we will have a group return along the beach. Everyone else will return along the road to the lagoon for an extended morning tea to allow time to check out the waterbirds and the bird-hide. Other areas we will cover include the road approaching the sewerage works and a walk around the perimeter of the sewerage works, Banksia Beach (where we will lunch), Wright’s Creek, White Patch, the entrance to the National Park, Star Marina (if time permits) and finish at the lagoons in Bellara (Bibimulya). The whole outing is easy walking and suitable for all ages although it is a very full day for those who stay to the end around 4pm. Bring morning & afternoon tea, lunch, chair, scope if you have one, slip, slap, slop and insect repellent. Start at 7am at the corner of McDonald St. and The Boulevard, Bongaree.
Carpooling is encouraged (either from Brisbane or from Buckley’s Hole) to minimise the impact on the environment and to reduce the size of the convoy to make it safer on the roads.
Please register for the walk by email, SMS or phone (details above), as numbers may need to be capped. Also indicate if you are offering space for carpooling or would like to join someone else and if you will stay for the whole day or may be heading home early.
Please try to arrive a little early to sign on, finalise carpooling and allow us to start on time.
