Yandina Creek Wetland: September 2019 survey

Australian Pelican over the wetland

Steve Popple and I conducted an afternoon and early evening survey of Yandina Creek Wetland for BirdLife Australia on September 28. This was the first BLA nocturnal survey and we were rewarded with brief views of a busily calling Large-tailed Nightjar after sunset. This is a rare species in south-east Queensland and Yandina Creek is the most southerly site at which the nightjar occurs. Unfortunately it didn't avail itself of a photograph. There was no sign of the Eastern Grass Owls which I had found in the area in past years.

Also of special interest was a pair of King Quail on the track. They showed themselves briefly but again avoided the cameras. A pair of Black-necked Storks were a little more co-operative; as in times past, this is proving to be the most reliable site in the Sunshine Coast region for this iconic species. The male bird in this image is fishing.

Black-necked Stork

We were particularly pleased to see good numbers of migratory shorebirds about. We had an estimated 150 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.Most were in a single large flock seen just before sunset in an area we had surveyed earlier and not found; they clearly had gone undetected in another part of the wetland.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

About 20 Marsh Sandpipers were also of note, as was a single critically endangered Curlew-Sandpiper.

Curlew-Sandpiper (R, pic by Steve Popple)

Marsh Sandpiper

Five recently arrived Pacific Golden Plovers, most still sporting breeding plumage, were seen, along with 8 Latham's Snipe.

Pacific Golden Plover

Latham's Snipe

Among other shorebirds, the presence of about 80 Red-kneed Dotterels was noteworthy; it's highly unusual to see so many of this primarily inland species in coastal Queensland.

Red-kneed Dotterel

Large flocks of Grey Teal were wheeling over the wetland as we found ourselves drenched by the first decent downpour of rain on the coast in weeks. Whiskered Tern was a new species for the wetland: Species Number 168. 

Grey Teal

Other nice birds included Glossy Ibis, Nankeen Night-Heron and Little Grassbird. A fair number of Australian Pelicans and cormorants indicated quite a few fish must be present.

Glossy Ibis

Little Grassbird

Raptors included two White-bellied Sea-Eagles that were actively patrolling the wetland.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

We found a dead Grassland Melomys, Melomys bertoni, a new species of mammal for the wetland. In the past I've found Water Rat Hydromys chrysogaster and Swamp Rat Rattus lutreolus here.

Grassland Melomys

We noticed that Unitywater has reopened several more floodgates at the eastern end of the wetland which had been shut for several years. As a result, the southern half of the wetland now has some water in it. This is a welcome development. As other floodgates reopen with time, the site will be fully restored. Ebird list of the 68 species recorded.

More floodgates opened