features freshwater lagoons and marine habitats as well as open forest and coastal scrub. A bird hide is located in front of the lagoon. A long sandbar is utilised by the waders and terns at the high tide. The Park is part of the Moreton Bay Ramsar site.
Access to the Park is via The Boulevard or via Tully Rd (leading to the bird hide). To get there, take Welsby Pde just after crossing the long bridge and drive south to the end of the road. Turn left and negotiate your way to a roundabout where you’ll turn right to McDonald St to get to The Boulevard. For the second entry point, on the roundabout continue on Spowers St, then turn right to Gregory St which will take you to Tully Rd. A track with stairs runs to the bird hide.
When drying out, the lagoon is good for the rails and crakes, particularly for Spotless Crake, Buff-banded Rail and Lewin’s Rail. A variety of herons and egrets can be found around the water, even Australasian Bittern was recorded a few times. Latham’s Snipes are found regularly around the lagoon. Black Swans, Australasian Grebes and several duck species breed there.
The spit is very important for the roosting waders, terns and gulls. Thirty wader species have been recorded, with the species composition similar to that of Kakadu Beach, described above. Twelve species of terns and gulls are on the birdlist. Common and Little Terns are here in large numbers, particularly in March-April when getting ready to migrate to the Northern Hemisphere. Lesser Crested Terns are the regulars, you can count on seeing 1-2 birds in a flock of other terns. In bad weather, particularly after cyclones, Sooty Terns and Bridled Terns may appear. This is a place where in 2003 Laughing Gull was recorded. There were also sightings of White-winged Black Tern, Whiskered Tern and Pacific Gull.
Bar-tailed Godwits, changing into their breeding plumage
Local bush birds include Brown Quail, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Mangrove Gerygone, Collared Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Eastern Whipbird, Pheasant Coucal and Rainbow Bee-eater.
Bribie Island National Park
This is a wildlife oasis just waiting to be discovered. This gem of picturesque landscape is nearly devoid of human presence. The Park covers approximately 1/3 of the island, mostly in coastal areas. You’ll find here a wide range of bird habitats including dunes, beaches, heathland, paperbark swamps, creeks, lagoons, open forest and coastal scrub.
There are three access points to the Park by car:
On the western side, from Bribie Island Rd (85) turn north onto Sunderland Dr, followed by turning right onto Endeavour Dr then left onto White Patch Esp to continue to the Ranger’s Station at White Patch. This entry is leading to the camping areas at Gallaghers Point and Poverty Creek. The roads will take you to stretches of heathland which are very good for birding.
On the eastern side, the entry to the beach is from the Eight Ave carpark off North St at Woorim Beach.
The Park can also be accessed from the Community Arts Centre on Sunderland Dr, from where you get access to the Bicentennial Walks.
You can only enter the Park in a 4WD vehicle with high clearance and a special car permit, obtained from the Queensland National Parks website here: https://qpws.usedirect.com/qpws/. Hefty fines apply if you take a 2WD car to the Park.
White Patch
Particularly good for birding is the area around the Ranger’s house. Australian Owlet-nightjars are resident nearby. Another active hollow was found across the road near the property No 166. Collared Sparrowhawk has a nest near the Ranger’s house. Tawny Frogmouths like to roost in the vicinity of the house. A colony of Rainbow Bee-eater is located nearby, you may observe the birds coming in and out of the holes in the sand banks.
Oher birds at the White Patch site include Spectacled Monarch, Black-faced Monarch, Crested Shrike-tit, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Golden Whistler, Variegated Fairy-wren and Grey Goshawk. In any fruiting trees you may locate Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves which are regulars here. Look also for Olive-backed Oriole, Topknot Pigeon, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Koel, Brown Cuckoo-Dove and Emerald Dove.
When walking towards the mudflats you’ll have a view of the whole estuary towards Toorbul with the birds feeding or flying over. Look for Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler, Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Bar-tailed Godwit, Royal Spoonbill, Little Egret, Osprey and Brahminy Kite.
Poverty Creek Campgrounds
This is a good spot for Spectacled Monarch. Search for it in patches of casuarina along the track.
Other birds here include Mangrove Gerygone, Nankeen Night-Heron, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Rufous Fantail, Golden Whistler, Southern Boobook and Grey Goshawk.
Bicentennial Walks
This is a 3.8km walking route through the paperbark swamp, eucalypt forest and wallum heath. In the latter, you may encounter masses of honeyeaters such as White-cheeked Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater and Little Wattlebird. Look also for Variegated Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, White-browed Scrubwren and Brown Thornbill. The eucalypt forest may yield Common Cicadabird, Varied Triller, Rufous Fantail, Golden Whistler, Shining Bronze-cuckoo and Collared Sparrowhawk.
Toorbul Wader Roost
Toorbul is a small township located 63km north of Brisbane CBD on the western side of the Pumicestone Passage, with Bribie Island to the east. This site attracts large numbers of waders and perhaps even larger numbers of birders due to its easy access. The Queensland Wader Group regularly organises wader ID workshops in this location.
To get there, exit Bruce Hwy (M1) 50km north of Brisbane onto Pumicestone Rd and drive east for 14km to Toorbul. Turn left at the T-junction with Freeman Rd and drive to the Esplanade. You’ll see the Toorbul store on your left. You’ll find there a range of take-away foods including their famous fish and chips. A park on the waterfront is equipped with picnic tables, barbecues, shelters and toilets.
There are four main roosting sites along the Esplanade in Toorbul. Three are located south of the Toorbul store, and one to the north of the store, at the northern end of the Esplanade.
Pelican Point: This roost is situated 1.1km south of the Toorbul store near the wader display board. The birds actually like roosting under the board. Site coordinates are 27o02’40’’S and 153o06’25’’E.
Sandfly Bay: This site is located 700m south of Pelican Point. Site coordinates are 27o02’41’’S and 153o06’42’’E. It is a small bay fringed with mangroves on both sides. Birds are using this site when they are disturbed in other spots.
Main Toorbul Roost: The main roost is located 200m further south from the previous site. Suite coordinates are 27o02’52’’S and 153o06’50’’E. Waders here can be easy observed from behind a specially constructed levee. Walking on the levee is forbidden. Eager local rangers can give you a hefty fine if this restriction is not observed. This site is a fantastic place to observe the waders at close proximity and take photos.
Toorbul North Sandspit: This spot is situated along the Esplanade 800m north of the Toorbul store. The sandbar is located opposite Carnegie St. Site coordinates are 27o02’63’’S and 153o06’50’’E.
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