Esplanade is excellent for viewing the foraging waders on the incoming or outgoing tide.
Over 180 bird species have been recorded in Toorbul. Key species are waders – as many as 33 species are on the site birdlist. Other birds of interest include Mangrove Gerygone, Buff-banded Rail, Royal Spoonbill, Mangrove Honeyeater, Striped Honeyeater, Australian Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern and Little Tern. Rarities include Shining Flycatcher, White-winged Black Tern, Black-necked Stork and Peregrine Falcon. A long list of rare waders includes Asian Dowitcher, Little Curlew, Long-toed Stint, Beach Stone-curlew, Common Sandpiper, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Grey Plover.
The bulk of the waders in the roost typically comprises Bar-tailed Godwits, Great Knots, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Whimbrels, Eastern Curlews and Pied Stilts. There is also a good chance to find Common Greenshank, Red Knot, Terek Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Australian Pied Oystercatcher and Black-tailed Godwit among them. A large flock of Black Swans is often feeding in the bay nearby.
Whimbrels and Bar-tailed Godwits at the Toorbul roost
At the southern side of the Toorbul Main Roost you’ll find a small creek. Look for Beach Stone-curlew in the creek mouth, it is its favourite spot. Several times we came across a family of Buff-banded Rails in the same location. Other birds along the creek include Azure Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Pheasant Coucal, Striped Honeyeater and Southern Boobook.
Toorbul North Sandspit often has different waders than the other three spots. Pacific Golden Plovers are regularly found there. Other birds include Great Egret, Little Egret, Royal Spoonbill and Striated Heron. In the creek flowing behind the buildings at the north end of the Esplanade, Black Bittern and Nankeen Night-Heron have been recorded a few times.
Bishop’s Marsh
This site is located 6km west of Toorbul at the corner of Pumicestone Rd and Volz Rd. Site coordinates are 27o62’08’’S and 153o03’10’’E.
Bishop’s Marsh is a large shallow swamp on a private property. It is worth stopping on the road on your way to or from Toorbul however the wetland may disappear during a prolonged drought. The swamp supports a large variety of waterbirds and waders such as Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Pied Stilt, Black-fronted Dotterel and Red-kneed Dotterel. Occasionally, you may see Black-necked Stork, Latham’s Snipe, Glossy Ibis or Pink-eared Duck here.
Check the paddocks around the swamp; Brolga is a regular here. The paddocks may also produce Horsfield’s Bushlark, Australasian Pipit, Golden-headed Cisticola and large flocks of Straw-necked Ibises.
Swamp Harrier can sometimes be seen patrolling the swamp.
Sheep Station Creek Conservation Park
This 230ha Park is located at Morayfield, 40km north of Brisbane CBD and 7km southwest of Caboolture. It is the largest remnant of natural forest within the quickly developing Caboolture Shire. Sheep Station Creek runs through the Park on its way to the Deception Bay via Caboolture River. The ridgetops are covered with an open forest dominated by gum-topped box and ironbarks. The upper slopes have spotted gums, pink bloodwood and white mahogany. On the lower slopes and along the creek you’ll find forest red gums, scribbly gums and brush box with an understory wattles, black she-oaks, grasses and herbs.
The main attraction of this site is a small flock of Swift Parrots (2-5 birds) that regularly travel that far north from Tasmania for the winter. This is the northernmost range of this species.
There are several entry points to the Park from the surrounding streets. The main and most accessible entrance is from the west via Phelps Rd off Caboolture River Rd. To get there, exit Bruce Hwy (M1) onto Uhlmann Rd (60) to the west and continue on Morayfield Rd (60) until you’ll see the Morayfield shopping complex where you turn left into Caboolture River Rd. Alternative entrances are from McLoughlin Rd from the east, Williamson Rd from the south and Mackney Rd from the north. Park your car at the end of either of these roads and enter the park on foot.
There are three trails here, Grey Gum Circuit (4.4km), Spotted Gum Trail (1.2km one way) and Ironbark Ridge Trail (1.1km one way). The latter features a spectacular 400-year-old ironbark tree. No other facilities are provided. The trail map can be found here: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/uploadedFiles/moretonbay/living/recreational-trail/sheepstationcreek.pdf.
The Park is a good biding spot, particularly for the dry woodland birds that otherwise are quite rare around Brisbane. Over 160 species are on the Park’s birdlist. Key species are Swift Parrot, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, Crested Shrike-tit, Little Lorikeet, Painted Button-quail, Dusky Woodswallow, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike and Powerful Owl. Other birds of interest include Australian King-Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Spectacled Monarch, Striped Honeyeater, Forest Kingfisher, Golden Whistler, Restless Flycatcher and Grey Goshawk. Among the rarities are Oriental Cuckoo, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Noisy Pitta, Pale-yellow Robin and Square-tailed Kite.
Striped Honeyeater
Powerful Owls breed in the Park. Swift Parrots are usually found in the flowering gums near the Williamson Rd carpark and along the main trail leading from the Phelps Rd entrance.
During our visit in winter 2015 we were amazed with the intensity of breeding activity in the area. Black-chinned Honeyeaters were nesting near the Phelps Rd entrance. Fuscous Honeyeaters nests were scattered all over the Park. Little Lorikeets and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets were vigorously inspecting hollows in the ironbark trees while a pair of Long-billed Corellas were feeding their young in a hollow nearby. We also found nests of White-naped Honeyeater, Dusky Woodswallow and Spotted Pardalote.
Fan-tailed Cuckoos were calling everywhere. Two Painted Button-quails were foraging on the Ironbark Ridge Trail. Azure Kingfisher was hunting along the creek. Flowering gums near the Williamson Rd entrance were covered in lorikeets. We found four species including five Musk Lorikeets and a large flock of Little Lorikeets.
Other birds likely to be encountered in this Park included Rose Robin, Varied Triller, Little Shrike-thrush, Restless Flycatcher, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Crested Shrike-tit, Tree Martin and Brown Quail.
North Lakes Wetlands
North Lakes, situated 25km north of the CBD, is one of the newest suburbs of Brisbane. Several wetlands were left alone during the development and now serve as recreational parks. Most of them, such as Lacebark Street Lake, Wallaroo Circuit Waterhole and Whitebeech Crescent Hole, are located on the periphery of the North Lakes Environmental Park. Lake Eden, the prime recreational area, is located in the southern part of North Lakes, behind the shopping malls.
To get there, from Bruce Hwy (M1) take Anzac Ave offramp and drive east.
To Lake Eden, turn into Discover Dr. From there, take Lakefield Dr and follow the route around the water back to Discovery Dr. Excellent site facilities include carparks, cafés, picnic tables, a walking loop, park benches, viewing platforms and toilets.
To Lacebark Street Lake and Whitebeech Crescent Hole, drive Discovery Dr to the end, then continue on Satinay Pde which will take you to a T-junction with
