Subject: Rockhampton – QLD

Hi James,

Things are pretty parched here at the moment so well short of the best birding it can be. Rocky is probably best known for its freshwater wetlands and the water levels are all down a bit which usually means good birding where there is water … but despite that, bird numbers are down a little on what they were only a couple of months ago.

Murray Lagoon at the Rockhampton botanic gardens is always worth looking at and over the past, all sorts of things have turned up. Things were pretty quiet though when I was last there a couple of weeks back.

Limestone Creek Conservation Park on the Yeppoon road near the Bruce Highway is a nice little window into what the bush around Rockhampton probably looked like before the city. Park at the National Parks office (at the south east corner) and wander around the mowed paths through the eucalypt woodlands. Again, pretty dry at the moment but there are some flowering gums around and the Scarlet Honeyeaters are in the area.

A bit out of town, Lake Mary Swamp (just south of intersection of Lake Mary Road and Serpentine Road – google maps show them) is another very reliable and interesting wetland. Quite a few km of gravel roads to get there though … but fine in a conventional car.

On the Capricorn coast, the best spots are probably Kinka Wetlands – has been amazing this winter although a little quieter on my last visit as the water retreats.

Bluff Point section of the Capricorn Coast Nat Park is probably one of the better spots for seeing the more coastal bush birds. Very dry at the moment but one of the more likely spots for Sunbirds (you won’t get them in Rockhampton … too inland).

Hope that helps,
Steve Kerr.

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Message: 2

From: James Mustafa < jamesmustafamusic@gmail.com>
To: birding-aus@birding-aus.org
Subject: [Birding-Aus] Rockhampton – QLD
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