This will be BQ’s 42nd 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 and we will again expect to top 100 species to be seen for the day. 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 Boulevarde and down Red Beach Road while the birds are still calling. The tide is fairly low early in the morning so a group can return along the beach, but they won’t have too much time to linger if they want to be on time for morning tea and maintain dry feet before the tide comes in. 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 Boulevarde, 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.
