Birding Bundaberg

Black-necked Stork

We had a pleasant five-day stay in the Bundaberg area, based at the seaside Bargara Caravan Park. Nice birds included Freckled Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Black-necked Stork, Square-tailed Kite, Lesser Crested Tern, Brown Booby, Red-kneed Dotterel, White-eared Monarch, Barn Owl and Shining Flycatcher.

Ready to roll

Cotton Pygmy-Goose

On our way north I found three Cotton Pygmy-Geese in a small roadside wetland just north of Gympie.

Tawny Frogmouth

We called in at small wallum reserve south of Bundaberg where this frogmouth was in full camouflage mode.

Little Friarbird

We then dropped in on our friends Trevor and Annie Quested. Birds in their garden included plenty of Noisy and Little Friarbirds.

Mon Repos beach

The camping ground adjoined the Mon Repos Conservation Park, a major site for sea turtle nesting, though not at this time of year. Brown Booby and Australasian Gannet were in good numbers offshore.

Sooty Oystercatcher

Among the birds here were several Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers on the rocks. A Barn Owl was flushed from a pandanus near the beach during the day. Fairy Gerygones were quite common in the coastal scrub.

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo

This cuckoo was near our camping site.

Rainbow Bee-eater

Rainbow Bee-eater

And a Rainbow Bee-eater struggles with its breakfast.

Black-necked Stork

We did a fair bit of driving, visiting various sites. A juvenile Black-necked Stork was near the mouth of the Kolan River at the Miara Caravan Park. It clearly was quite tame and being fed by fishing folk. Another Black-necked Stork was seen at Bundaberg Port.

Lesser Crested Tern

A single Lesser Crested Tern was seen flying up the river at Miara with more numerous Crested Terns. On a later visit I took the kayak out for a few hours and saw a single male Shining Flycatcher in the mangroves.

Red-kneed Dotterel

Another nice spot was Norval Park, where plenty of small plovers were feeding on the mudflats, including 20+ Red-kneed Dotterels. While travelling from Norval Park to Moore Park Beach, a Square-tailed Kite was seen flying over roadside woodland.

Freckled Duck

Freckled Duck & Pacific Black Duck

Four Freckled Ducks were seen on a lagoon in the heart of Moore Park. One bird had been reported by local birders on the lagoon recently. A single Pink-eared Duck was also present.

Plumed Whistling-Duck

Plumed Whistling-Ducks were in such huge numbers on this lagoon that they had taken over much of the picnic area.

White-eared Monarch

Another spot visited was Smith's Crossing on the Kolan River. White-eared and Spectacled Monarchs were seen here.