Category: Bird walks
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My trip north (Part 2: Mackay): 6–9 February 2025
What a lovely few days in Mackay! The best part was spending time with my sister but the birding was a close second. One of the big highlights was seeing Brolgas at the local sports field! They are such cool birds. They look like they’re wearing bright red swimming caps. This one stood for ages…
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My trip north (Part 1: The way up): 2–5 February 2025
A few weeks off work called for a road trip! This time, my destination was Mackay but with a quick detour to the Gold Coast. My first outing was to the Coombabah Lake Conservation Park, where I did the beautiful boardwalk circuit. There were so many kangaroos! Plus this conked-out koala: I also caught my first…
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Back for more: Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk & Sandy Camp Road Wetlands Reserve, 1 February 2025
I loved Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk so much last weekend that I had to bring Sam back this weekend! We had a family event on the northside so decided to make a day of it and fit in some birdwatching in the morning. We started at the boardwalk. Last time the tide was so high that…
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A hot but peaceful Friday morning: Archerfield Wetlands, 31 January 2025
Ever since I started going to Archerfield Wetlands, I’ve wanted to do the full walk to the north end of the wetlands, and this Friday morning seemed like the right time. It was a hot, sunny morning, but there were lots of birds so it was worth it. I was greeted as I entered by…
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Three birding spots, one big morning: Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk & Port of Brisbane, 27 January 2025
This morning I ventured out on my first proper bird walk further away from home, and it was wonderful—it felt like a mini holiday. I arrived at Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk just before 6 am. Aside from the mosquitoes, the boardwalk was stunning—so quiet, with just the soft back-and-forth of the incoming tide and tinkling song…
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So many birds: Oxley Creek Common, 25 January 2025
The more bird walks I do at Oxley Creek Common, the more I understand why it’s so popular with birders. It’s so consistently full of amazing birds, and the walk is so pleasant. On this trip, I found 48 species and 8 lifers. Sam and I did the full walk, out to Pelican Island and…
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Noisy Miners galore: Karawatha Forest, 22 January 2025
Something I’ve noticed since starting my bird walks is that where there are lots of Noisy Miners, it can be difficult to hear or see other birds. This was unfortunately the case this week when Sam and I visited Karawatha Forest early one morning before work. The forest was very quiet, except for the Noisy…
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After-work bird walk: Karawatha Forest (Stretton Recreation Reserve), 20 January 2025
Well, the first time I went birding at this section of Karawatha Forest, I was not so impressed. This time, even though it was the afternoon, I had a much better time. It was a Monday afternoon, post-dentist, post-work, and I was feeling like I needed to stretch my legs and quiet my mind. The…
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A family birding outing: Archerfield Wetlands, 19 January 2025
On my bird walk this morning at Archerfield Wetlands I was joined by Sam and Mum, and we saw some great birds! First up were these raucous Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos: And, also perched high, this Little Black Cormorant, a whole lot of Rainbow Lorikeets and a Dollarbird: I’ve only been seriously birding for a few weeks…
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44 species and 11 lifers! A new PB: Oxley Creek Common, 18 January 2025
I spent three and a half hours at Oxley Creek Common this morning and boy what a bird walk. I really didn’t feel like getting up at 5 on a Saturday morning after a big week, but I’m so glad I did. This morning’s walk has become my longest and most successful bird walk to…
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Trek through a city wilderness: Toohey Forest, 13 January 2025
A new birding spot! Sam and I visited Toohey Forest for a morning bird walk. We’ve driven through this spot so many times and I’ve always wanted to check it out, but had never got around to it. Thanks to birding, I’ve finally gotten there. We didn’t find as many birds as we were hoping…
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A slow circuit in the rain: Berrinba Wetlands, 12 January 2025
After the initial (partial) disappointment of the very quiet Karawatha Forest, I headed to Berrinba Wetlands, only a few minutes’ drive away, and was stoked to see some great birds from the viewing platform at the lagoon as soon as I walked in. It rained for most of the walk, but I had my umbrella…