Sunshine Coast Bird List

Glossy Black Cockatoo

BIRDS OF THE SUNSHINE COAST

Birds seen by me within the boundaries of the Sunshine Coast and Noosa councils. The area covered also extends north to the Cooloola sector of the Great Sandy World Heritage Area; south to Toorbul and Bribie Island; and west to the western slopes of the Conondale Range (see map). The list includes seabirds seen offshore from the coast as far as 35 nautical miles. It is regularly updated. [] = introduced.

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

Buller’s Albatross (Thalassarche bulleri)

Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris)

Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)

Light-mantled Sooty Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata)

Tahiti Petrel (Pseudobulweria rostrata)

Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri)
Grey-faced Petrel (Pterodroma gouldi)

Mottled Petrel (Pterodroma inexpectata)

Stejneger’s Petrel (Pterodroma longirostris)
Cook's Petrel (Pterodroma cookii)
Gould's Petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera)
Kermadec Petrel (Pterodroma neglecta)
Soft-plumaged Petrel (Pterodroma mollis)
Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur)

Antarctic Prion (Pachyptila desolata)
Black Petrel (Procellaria parkinsoni)
White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis)

Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus pacificus)

Buller's Shearwater (Puffinus bulleri)

Flesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes)

Short-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris)

Fluttering Shearwater (Puffinus gavia)

Hutton's Shearwater (Puffinus huttoni)
Streaked Shearwater (Calonectris leucomelas)

Wilson's Storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus)

Black-bellied Storm-petrel (Fregetta tropica)

White-bellied Storm-petrel (Fregetta grallaria)

White-faced Storm-petrel (Pelagodroma marina)

Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda)
White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus)

Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator)

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)
Red-footed Booby (Sula sula)

Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)

Little Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax melanoleucos)

Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius)

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Australian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae)
Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel)

White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Eastern Reef-egret (Egretta sacra)

Pacific Heron (Ardea pacifica)

Eastern Great Egret (Ardea modesta)

Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia)

Cattle Egret (Bulbulcus ibis)

Striated Heron (Butorides striatus)

Nankeen Night-heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)

Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis)

Black-backed (Little) Bittern (Ixobrychus novaezelandiae)

Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca)

Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis)

Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)

Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes)

Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmata)

Plumed Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)

Wandering Whistling-duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)

Cotton Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus)
Green Pygmy-goose (Nettapus pulchellus)

Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata)

Grey Teal (Anas gracilis)

Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)

[Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)]

Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)
Australasian Shoveler (Anas rhynchotis)

Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus)

Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa)
Hardhead (Aythya australis)
Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah)

Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata)

Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia isura)

Australian (Black-shouldered) Kite (Elanus axillaris)

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

Australian Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)

White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans)

Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)

Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae)

Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)

Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus)
Red Goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus)

Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora)

Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides)

Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Black Falcon (Falco subniger)

Australian Brush-turkey (Alectura lathami)

Brown Quail (Coturnix ypsilophora)

King Quail (Coturnix chinensis)
Stubble Quail (Coturnix pectoralis)

Red-backed Buttonquail (Turnix maculosa)

Black-breasted Buttonquail (Turnix melanogaster)

Painted Buttonquail (Turnix varia)

Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis)

Lewin's Rail (Rallus pectoralis)

Pale-vented Bush-hen (Amaurornis olivaceus)
White-browed Crake (Amaurornis cinerea)

Baillon's Crake (Porzana pusilla)

Australian (Spotted) Crake (Porzana fluminea)

Spotless Crake (Porzana tabuensis)

Purple  Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)

Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)

Black-tailed Native-hen (Gallinula ventralis)

Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

Brolga (Grus rubicunda)

Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea)

Australian Painted-snipe (Rostratula australis)

Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris)

Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus)

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)
Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae)

Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius)

Beach Thick-knee (Esacus magnirostris)

Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)

Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)
Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)

Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus)

Mongolian Plover (Charadrius mongolus)

Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)
Oriental Plover (Charadrius veredus)

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus)

Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubricollis)

Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops)

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles)
Banded Lapwing (Vanellus tricolor) 

Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii)

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)

Asian Dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmata)
Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Terek Sandpiper (Tringa cinerea)

Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes)

Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana)

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)

Red Knot (Calidris canutus)

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)
Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)
Sanderling (Calidris alba)
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limicola falcinellus)

Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus)

Arctic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus)
Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus)
Brown Skua (Stercorarius antarcticus)

Silver Gull (Larus novaehollandiae)

(Asian) Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica)
Australian (Gull-billed) Tern (Sterna macrotarsa)

Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)

Crested Tern (Sterna bergii)
Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna bengalensis)

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)

Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscata)

Bridled Tern (Onychoprion anaethetus)

Whiskered Tern (Childonias hybridus)

White-winged Tern (Childonias leucopterus)

Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus)
Black Noddy (Anous minutus)
Grey Noddy (Anous albivittus)
White Tern (Gygis alba)

[Rock Dove (Columba livia)]

White-headed Pigeon (Columba leucomela)

[Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)]

Brown Cuckoo-dove (Macropygia phasianella)

Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps indica)

Brush Bronzewing (Phaps elegans)
Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)

Crested Pigeon (Geophaps lophotes)

Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida)

Bar-shouldered Dove (Geopelia humeralis)

Wonga Pigeon (Leucosarcia melanoleuca)

Wompoo Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus magnificus)

Superb Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus superbus)

Rose-crowned Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus regina)

Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus)
Torresian Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula spilorrhoa)

Australian King-parrot (Alisterus scapularis)

Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus)

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans)

Pale-headed Rosella (Platycercus adscitus)

Eastern Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus)

Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)

Red-tailed Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)

Glossy Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami)

Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)
[Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)]  

Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus)

Little Lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusilla)
Musk Lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna)
Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Pallid Cuckoo (Cuculus pallidus)

Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus)
Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus)

Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)

Little Bronze-cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus)

Shining Bronze-cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus)

Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis)

Australian Koel (Eudynamys cyanocephala)

Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)

Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianius)

Sooty Owl (Tyto tenebricosa)

Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae)

Eastern Barn Owl (Tyto javanica)

Eastern Grass Owl (Tyto longimembris)

Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua)

Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook)

Marbled Frogmouth (Podargus ocellatus)
Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)

Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus)

White-throated Nightjar (Eurostopodus mystacalis)
Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus)

White-throated Needletail (Hirundapus caudacutus)
Pacific Swift (Apus pacificus)

Azure Kingfisher (Alcedo azurea)

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)
Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii)

Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii)

Torresian Kingfisher (Todiramphus sordidus)

Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)
Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius)

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)

Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor)

White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus)

Red-browed Treecreeper (Climacteris erythrops)
Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)

Green Catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris)

Regent Bowerbird (Sericulus chrysocephalus)

Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)

Red-backed Fairywren (Malurus melanocephalus)

Variegated Fairywren (Malurus lamberti)

Southern Emuwren (Stipiturus malachurus)

Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus)

Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)

Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus)

Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis)

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)

Large-billed Scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostris)

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)

Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata)
Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana)
Buff-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza reguloides)

Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)

White-throated Gerygone (Gerygone olivacea)

Mangrove Gerygone (Gerygone levigaster)

Brown Gerygone (Gerygone mouki)

Fairy Gerygone (Gerygone palpebrosa)
Speckled Warbler (Pyrrholaemus sagittatus)

Dusky Honeyeater (Myzomela obscura)

Scarlet Honeyeater (Myzomela sanguinolenta)

Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta)

Lewin's Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii)

Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Lichenostomus chrysops)

Mangrove Honeyeater (Lichenostomus fasciogularis)
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops)
Yellow Honeyeater (Stomiopera flava)

White-naped Honeyeater (Melithreptus lunatus)

White-throated Honeyeater (Melithreptus albogularis)

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis)

Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis)

Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)

New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)

White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris nigra)

Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)

Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)

Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys)

Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)

Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera)
Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia)

Jacky-winter (Microeca fascinans)

Rose Robin (Petroica rosea)

Pale-yellow Robin (Tregellasia capito)

Eastern Yellow Robin (Eopsaltria australis)

Varied Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera)

Crested Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus)

Golden Whistler (Pachycephala pectoralis)

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris)

Rufous Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha)

Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)

Australian Logrunner (Orthonyx temminckii)

Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)
Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis)

Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

Tree Martin (Hirundo nigricans)

Fairy Martin (Hirundo ariel)
Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)
Horsfield's Bushlark (Mirafra javanica) 

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)

Barred Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina lineata)

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina papuensis)

Cicadabird (Coracina tenuirostris)

White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor)

Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela)

Russet-tailed Thrush (Zoothera heinei)

Blue Rock-Thrush (Monticola solitaries)

Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis)

Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis)

Little Grassbird (Megalurus gramineus)

Rufous Songlark (Megalurus mathewsi)
Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis)
Australian Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus australis)

Willie-Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)

Grey Fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa)

Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons)

Black-faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis)

White-eared Monarch (Monarcha leucotis)

Spectacled Monarch (Monarcha trivirgatus)

Satin Flycatcher (Myiagra cyanoleuca)

Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula)

Restless Flycatcher (Myiarga inquieta)

Shining Flycatcher (Myiarga alecto)

Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum)

Silver-eye (Zosterops lateralis)

Olive-backed Oriole (Oriolus sagittatus)

Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres viridis)

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)

Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)

Paradise Riflebird (Ptiloris paradiseus)

White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorhynchus)

Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)

Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus)

Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)

Australasian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina)

Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca)
White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos)

[Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)]

[Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)]

[House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)]
Red-browed Firetail (Neochmia temporalis)

Double-barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii)
Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)
Plum-headed Finch (Neochmia modesta)

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax)
[Nutmeg Mannikin (Lonchura punctulata)]

TOTAL -  359

Christmas Twitching on the Sunshine Coast

Among the birds seen on a good day out and about on the Sunshine Coast yesterday were Pale-vented Bush-hen, Superb Fruit-Dove, White-eared Monarch, Glossy Ibis and Cotton Pygmy-Goose. South African birder Phil Penlington and I kicked off just after dawn with a visit to Little Yabba Creek (above), searching around Charlie Moreland camping ground, then doing a couple of rounds of the Fig Tree walk.

Paradise Riflebird

Nice birds included a pair of Barred Cuckoo-shrikes, White-eared Monarch at two sites, a female Paradise Riflebird, Pale-yellow Robin, Russet-tailed Thrush, Logrunner, and Dusky Honeyeater, while Noisy Pitta was seen several times.

Pale-vented Bush-hen

We moved on to a site near Kenilworth where I've had Pale-vented Bush-hen and Lewin's Rail in the past. A pair of bush-hens kept under cover but eventually yielded reasonable views. An area of scrub near Imbil had some fresh Black-breasted Buttonquail platelets but no birds were seen during our short visit. We visited Lake Macdonald, seeing 4 Glossy Ibis (a scarce visitor to the Sunshine Coast), 5 Latham's Snipe, several Red-kneed Dotterels and 8 Wandering Whistling-Ducks. On a farm dam near Eumundi, we had a single Cotton Pygmy-Goose.

Wappa and Poona dams had quite a few Great Crested Grebes. We ended the day in lowland rainforest at Cooloolabin, where several Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves were seen (they had been calling commonly all day) along with a single Superb Fruit-Dove. A Pacific Baza also showed nicely here, as well as a few more Dusky Honeyeaters and a Crested Shrike-Tit.

Our last camp-out for the year earlier this month was at Boreen Point, Lake Cootharaba, a lovely setting although the birds were a bit thin on the ground.

Shining Flycatcher

I kayaked around the lake's southern shore but saw little. However, I had a nice pair of Shining Flycatchers on a separate kayaking excursion from Lake Cooroibah to the Noosa North Shore ferry crossing.

Varied Sittella

Varied Sittella

In wallum regrowth at nearby Elanda Point, a short drive from Boreen Point, a highly co-operative group of Varied Sittellas was entertaining.

There were some interesting historical sites in the Elanda Point area. This chimney is all that remains of a dairy farm built in the 1860s. (To put things in perspective, that's a decade before General Custer met his match at the Battle of the Little Big Horn!)

 This is an extract from The Gympie Times, relating in rather graphic detail (by current standards) the outcome of a boiler accident in 1873 (three years before Custer's Last Stand) at the Elanda Point timber mill.

Superb Fruit-Dove in Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Superb Fruit-Dove

Superb Fruit-Dove is a scarce summer visitor to south-east Queensland so it was a surprise to see and hear a total of three birds this morning and yesterday afternoon near Cooloolabin in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

Superb Fruit-Dove

These birds can be very difficult to see and even more difficult to photograph, so it was with some effort that I finally had this one more or less co-operating.

Superb Fruit-Dove

The fruit-doves were located separately but within a few hundred metres of each other in lowland rainforest between Yandina and Cooloolabin; two were seen and a third was heard. The forest is privately owned but anyone interested could look in the vicinity of Shrapnel Road.

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove

Plenty of Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves were also about, including this one, along with good numbers of Wompoo Fruit-Doves.

White-eared Monarch

This White-eared Monarch put in an appearance.

Red-necked Wallaby

As did this Red-necked Wallaby.

Forest Kingfisher

A Forest Kingfisher showed nicely at Lake Cooloolabin.

Later I drove up the Mapleton Forest Drive through the newly declared Mapleton National Park. A pair of Southern Boobooks and a Greater Glider showed nicely if distantly at dusk.

Meanwhile at home at Ninderry, this Boebuck (Short-eared Brushtail) has taken up residence in a nesting box used previously by one of its kind. Boebucks occurs in the garden alongside Common Brushtails.

Wetlands Destruction Press Coverege

Some further publicity on the push to save what's left of Sunshine Coast wetlands:

Sunshine Coast Daily

Couple in sanctuary call

Comments (11) »

•  Roxanne Mccarty-O’Kane
 
•  9th Apr 2013 3:30 PM

---

Lisa Warren, pictured with her daughter Emily, is hoping council will buy part of her property as a nature reserve.Darryn Smith

A SUNSHINE Coast conservationist has called on the council to help save one of the last remaining parcels of wetlands along the Maroochy River.

Avid bird watcher and wild

life habitat crusader Greg Roberts says the 12ha site is home to several rare and threatened species of birds but council last year decided against the purchase which would protect it from development.

Council officers who reviewed the property said it was not suitable because the former sugar cane farmland was "not natural" and had been "human-modified".

Landowners Lisa and Geoff Warren want to separate the 4ha of riverfront land with their home on it from the other side of River Rd.

Mrs Warren said that once they had discovered the presence of rare and threatened bird species on the wetlands, they had offered the council the chance in November last year to buy it for conservation purposes.

"We would love to preserve it," she said.

"There has been a little bit of development around us and all these really rare birds lost everything.

"We hope the council or somebody will come out that can save it as a wildlife sanctuary so everybody can enjoy it."

On his many bird-watching visits to the site, Mr Roberts has recorded the presence of scarce or elusive birds such as the eastern grass owl, lewin's rail, spotless crake, brolga, king quail and red-backed buttonquail.

Mr Roberts has launched a campaign on his website and Facebook page urging people to contact the council to encourage them to secure the rare parcel of land.

"The council's previous decision was well-meaning, but it's unfortunate as these former farmlands provide excellent habitat for a range of species which have been largely eliminated from the region by the destruction of wallum heath and wetlands for residential development," he said.

"They need to look beyond their definition of what is worthy of conservation.

"That they are not natural should be no barrier.''

Topics:  environment, sunshine coast wetlands

Here is earlier media coverege following publication of this previously published post.

Little Grassbird, Red-kneed Dotterel in large numbers on Sunshine Coast

Little Grassbird

Impressive numbers of Little Grassbird and Red-kneed Dotterel were recorded during a kayaking survey around the southern shore of Ewen Maddock Dam on the Sunshine Coast yesterday.

Little Grassbird

Little Grassbird is regarded as a scarce inhabitat of freshwater swamp reed-beds in south-east Queensland. I've found them regularly at Ewen Maddock Dam in the past, at all times of the year, but was surprised to see or hear no fewer than 30 birds during the kayaking survey.

Little Grassbird

Little Grassbird is also notoriously difficult to photograph, so it was nice to get the odd opportunity as birds uncharacteristically perched in the open a little in the early morning.

Red-kneed Dotterel

Red-kneed Dotterel is a rare visitor to the Sunshine Coast and several birds have been around the dam in recent weeks. At least 80 birds were counted around the southern shore yesterday, an unusually large number for this inland species in south-east Queensland.

Red-kneed Dotterel

White-necked Heron

White-necked Heron is another species that is normally rare on the Sunshine Coast but four were seen at Ewen Maddock yesterday. Another primarily inland species, these birds are presumably dispersing following good breeding seasons in the inland over the past couple of years. There was no sign yesterday of another inland species, Black-tailed Native-hen, which I found here two weeks ago.

Some of the regulars:

White-faced Heron

Australasian Grebe

Wetlands Destruction on the Sunshine Coast

Current and planned developments threaten what little remains of freshwater wetlands on the Sunshine Coast. The images here were taken yesterday at the end of River Road, Maroochy River. The land being bulldozed above was until this week an excellent area of grassland and swamp. I have had a breeding population of at least two pairs of Lewin's Rail for the past couple of years at this spot. This is the only place on the Sunshine Coast where I had recorded Red-backed Buttonquail, and King Quail, another scarce species, were regular here.

Across the road, as part of the same development on the same land title, another area of grassland and swamp has been destroyed. A pair of Eastern Grass Owl had been resident at the site in the image above.
The land was sold recently to someone who wanted to "build a shed on it", said Nambour real estate agent Gary Blake. The new owner had "cleaned up the place, it was a real mess", he added. It's interesting how varied the perception of what constitutes a mess can be.

Lewin's Rail

Lewin's Rail is listed as Near Threatened under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act. Permission for development that could have detrimental consequences for the species is supposed to be obtained by the state Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.  No such approvals were given for the development in the images above.

This land is a former sugar cane farm so the swamps and grassland are not natural. However, given the almost total destruction of natural wetlands on the Sunshine Coast, they provide crucial habitat for many waterbirds and other birds and mammals. Government authorities should consider buying some of the properties and managing them as wetland habitat; the image above shows what this habitat looks like.

Eastern Grass Owl - Pic by Jim Sneddon

The flats around both sides of the Maroochy River constitute one of the best sites in Queensland for the rare Eastern Grass Owl. Other raptors frequenting them include good numbers of Spotted Harrier and Grey Goshawk, both regarded as uncommon.  

Spotless Crake

Good numbers of Spotless Crake and Buff-banded Rail are among the waterbirds that live in the grasslands and swamps. Other birds here include Brolga, Bush Stone-Curlew, Tawny Grassbird and Brown Quail.

Sunshine Coast Pelagic Trip December 2012

Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern, Tahiti Petrel, large numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters and a pod of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins were the highlights of the December 1 pelagic trip off the Sunshine Coast.
As we set off from Mooloolaba Harbour at 6.30am in our catamaran, Cat-A-Pult, the slightest swell and gentle north-easterly sea breeze of five knots did not bode well for the hoped for rarities. We reached the shelf within two hours and began leaving a berley trail of shark liver at 8.30am at 330 metres, 34 nautical miles offshore.

We drifted southwards for a couple of hours with the trail, seeing surprisingly little other than the odd Wedge-tailed Shearwater and regular flocks of 20-30 Short-tailed Shearwaters heading south. A good-sized pod of Pantropical Spotted Dolphins was nice, but the calm conditions were presumably keeping the Pteredromas away.

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin - picture Stephen Murray

 We decided to head further out to 360 metres, seeing a single Sooty Tern on the way. As we laid a second berley trail, we saw two more Sooty Terns, an occasional Flesh-footed Shearwater  and a single Tahiti Petrel, which obliged by circling the boat several times, while showing no interest in the shark liver.

Tahiti Petrel

Tahiti Petrel - Picture Paul Barden 

We headed back towards shore at about 1pm, seeing quite a few Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and a single Arctic Jaeger. We stopped  for some Common and White-winged Terns closer in, as the wind belatedly began picking up to 15-20 knots, arriving back at the wharf at 3.30pm.

PARTICIPANTS: Lachlan Tuckwell (skipper), Greg Roberts (organiser),
Paul Barden, Ian Barnett, Rob Dougherty, Judith Hoyle, Mark Clarke, Jim Macready, Steve Murray, Gavin O''Meara, Colin Reid, Kathy Wilk, Brian Willey, Chris Wylie

SPECIES: Total (maximum at one time)

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin 15 (6)

Tahiti Petrel 1 (1)
Short-tailed Shearwater 400 (30)
Wedge-tailed Shearwater 60 (6)
Flesh-footed Shearwater 3(1)
Arctic Jaeger 1 (1)
Crested Tern 20 (4)
Common Tern 30 (5)
White-winged Tern 2 (1)

Wedge-tailed Shearwater