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Birdwatching Around Bunbury

Australia’s voice for birds since 1901

BirdLife Australia is dedicated to achieving outstanding conservation results for our native birds and their habitats. With our specialised knowledge and the commitment of an Australia-wide network of volunteers and supporters, we are creating a bright future for Australia’s birds.

birdlife.org.au

BirdLife Western Australia 167 Perry Lakes Drive, Floreat WA 6014 T 08 9383 7749 | wa@birdlife.org.au facebook.com/BirdLifeAustralia | @BirdlifeOz ABN 75 149 124 774

BIRDING AROUND BUNBURYINTRODUCTION

Please use pathways where provided. Avoid disturbing birds by viewing them from a distance. Bunbury is a regional city where you can enjoy an ancient forest, ocean beaches and wetlands within a short drive from the CBD. Diving gannets, graceful terns, whimsical oystercatchers and the elusive Western Yellow Robin are all possibilities. Around 200 bird species have been recorded in the area, including 21 shorebird species which migrate annually from the northern hemisphere, having bred in the Alaskan-Siberian summer.

Local contacts: Anne 0409 296 461 Doug 08 9721 2166 Sue 08 9791 4550

Supported by City of Bunbury

Local Information Sue Kalab & BirdLife Bunbury

Illustrations by Pam Free, Keith Lightbody, Susan Tingay.

Guide No 23AB: Revised August 2017.All content is subject to copyright ©.Queries to BirdLife Western Australia.

BirdLife Western Australia members are offered a variety of activities and services including conservation and research projects, excursions, campouts, surveys and social activities. There is also a library and books for sale at the office. To view the full range of bird guides visit the website.

BUNBURY BIRD SITES

Bunbury CBD

Indian Ocean

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Est

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Brunswick River

Collie River

Presto

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Bu� alo RoadBu� alo Road

Marriott Road

Old

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ast

Ro

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Cath

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Forrest Highway

South Western Highway

To Dardanup

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Western

Hig

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Hig

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Oce

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To Brunswick Junction

To Burekup

1

2

3

4

7

9

8

10

11

Maidens Reserve

Estuary Drive

Old

Coa

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Paris Road

Bunbury Tuart Forest

Big Swamp

Manea Park

Peninsular Lakes

Les

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Pen

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Robertson Drive

Leschenault Inlet

Pt Mornington

Rosamel Reserve

To 6. Stirling

Wetlands

9

5

Forrest Highw

ay (prev ABP)

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

1 Big Swamp 2 mins drive south of CBD, circled by Prince Philip Drive and Tuart Street. Stands of paperbarks and introduced grasses surround open water and islands. A 2 km wheelchair-friendly path circles the swamp, with two boardwalks and a hide. 100 species recorded, including Blue-billed Duck, Little Grassbird, Rainbow Bee-eater, and Red-capped Parrot. Black Swan, Great Crested Grebe and Musk Duck breed here, and raptors are often seen.

2 Maidens Reserve 6 mins drive from Bunbury CBD, south along Ocean Drive. Park at picnic area near junction of Westwood Street. Limestone tracks lead north-south and west to the ocean, through a variety of habitats - ancient Tuart canopies, Peppermints, grasslands and coastal heathland. Look for raptors, seabirds and bushbirds including Southern Emu-wren and Spotted Pardalote.

3 Bunbury Tuart Forest 8 mins drive south of CBD, at the end of Ocean Drive. Several obvious entry points. Ancient Tuarts and Jarrah with banksia and Peppermint woodlands. Forest birds include Scarlet Robin, Western Yellow Robin, Splendid Fairy-wren, Golden Whistler and Grey Shrike-thrush. Paths lead east and south as well as west through high dunes giving spectacular views.

4 Manea Park 10 mins drive from Bunbury CBD in College Grove at junction of Somerville Drive and Winthrop Avenue. Enter through the bollards and follow the limestone path, a 2.3 km loop. Mixed forest of Marri and Jarrah known for wildflowers, this is habitat for a variety of bushbirds including all three species of threatened black-cockatoos.

5 Leschenault Inlet Close to the CBD. From Koombana Dr, go to the end of Lyons Cove. Park near Sykes Foreshore Reserve. 70 species recorded here. Buff-banded Rail breed here and Osprey is seen frequently.

SOUTH OF BUNBURY6 Stirling Wetland Approx. 35 mins drive south of Bunbury CBD. West of Capel, south of Capel River and adjacent to Peppermint Grove Beach. On privately owned farmland. Access is restricted to an unformed road reserve; requires wearing waders for much of the year. A telescope is useful. Entrance is along Ludlow North Road opposite a sign ‘Tuart Forest National Park’. 100 species recorded.

NORTH OF BUNBURY7 Leschenault EstuaryThe estuary is a long lagoon running north–south, approximately 13.5 km long and 2.5 km at its widest and separated from the ocean by Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Park. Collie and Preston Rivers flow into the estuary. Species include White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Osprey, Whistling Kite and other raptors, Black-winged Stilt, Red-necked Avocet and seasonal migrants. Up to 2,000 Black Swan can be seen at times. There are many vantage points and a telescope is handy.

8 Leschenault Peninsula Conservation Park (LPCP)About 30 mins north of Bunbury CBD, at the western edge of the estuary, LPCP is a peninsular of sand dunes with Tuart canopy. At the north end of Cathedral Ave (or from Forrest Hwy) turn into Buffalo Road. Along Buffalo Road look for White-fronted Chat and Brown Songlark. Waders, bushland and ocean birds include Sacred Kingfisher, stilts, avocets and migratory shorebirds. Drive south to explore quiet coves for waterbirds, and possibly Southern Emu-wren in the woodlands. At Belvidere, at end of gravel road, look for large nests in tall Tuarts.

9 Rosamel Reserve, Leschenault20 mins drive north of Bunbury CBD. Along Cathedral Ave, turn into Lofthouse Dr (just before Buffalo Rd). A short path circles an island. In breeding season (Aug to Dec) activity peaks with at least seven species using this small area, among them Australian White and Straw-necked Ibis.

10 Point Mornington 15 mins north of CBD at mouth of Preston River. Access via Inner Harbour gate. Turn right, 1400m to car-park, then 800m walk. In season, migratory shorebirds at low tide. Use a telescope if possible to avoid disturbance.

11 Peninsula Lakes, Eaton (Leicester Reserve)About 20 mins from CBD in Eaton. From Leicester Ramble, follow a delightfully restored trail along the Collie River. Bushbirds and waterbirds can be seen or heard here including Grey Currawong and Spotted Pardalote.

Black SwanWhistling Kite

Grey Currawong

Australasian Grebe

BUNBURY BIRD LIST Rating is only for places described

DUCKS, GEESE & SWANSBlue-billed Duck U O Pink-eared Duck RBlack Swan CAustralian Shelduck CHardhead RAustralasian Shoveler UPacific Black Duck CGrey Teal UChestnut Teal RMusk Duck CAustralian Wood Duck C

PHEASANTS & QUAILStubble Quail U

GREBESAustralasian Grebe MHoary-headed Grebe MGreat Crested Grebe U

PIGEONS & DOVESRock Dove * CLaughing Dove * C Common Bronzewing M Brush Bronzewing RCrested Pigeon U

CUCKOOSHorsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo M Mi Sp-Su Shining Bronze-Cuckoo M Mi Sp-Su Fan-tailed Cuckoo U Mi Sp-Su Pallid Cuckoo U Mi Sp-Su

FROGMOUTHSTawny Frogmouth U

SWIFTS & SWIFTLETSFork-tailed Swift R IA

CRAKES, RAILS & SWAMPHENSBuff-banded Rail M Australian Spotted Crake USpotless Crake R Purple Swamphen CDusky Moorhen C Black-tailed Native-hen REurasian Coot C

OYSTERCATCHERSAustralian Pied Oystercatcher CSooty Oystercatcher R

STILTS & AVOCETSBanded Stilt U Red-necked Avocet UBlack-winged Stilt M

PLOVERS, DOTTEREL, LAPWINGS Migrants are present in summer

Grey Plover M Mi IA Pacific Golden Plover R Mi IA Red-capped Plover M Lesser Sand Plover R Mi T IA Greater Sand Plover R Mi T IA Black-fronted Dotterel MBanded Lapwing U Red-kneed Dotterel R

SNIPE, SANDPIPERS, GODWITS, CURLEW, STINTS & PHALAROPES Migrants are present in summer

Whimbrel R Mi IA Eastern Curlew U Mi T IA Bar-tailed Godwit U Mi T IA Black-tailed Godwit R Mi O IA Ruddy Turnstone R Mi IA Great Knot R Mi T IA Red Knot R Mi T IA Sharp-tailed Sandpiper U Mi IA Curlew Sandpiper R Mi T IA Red-necked Stint M Mi IA Sanderling R Mi IA Terek Sandpiper R Mi IA Common Sandpiper M Mi IA Grey-tailed Tattler R Mi O IA Common Greenshank M Mi IA Wood Sandpiper R Mi IA Marsh Sandpiper R Mi IA

BUTTON-QUAILPainted Button-quail R

SKUAS & JAEGERSBrown Skua R

GULLS, TERNS & NODDIESSilver Gull CPacific Gull CFairy Tern U T Australian Gull-billed Tern RCaspian Tern C IA Whiskered Tern R Mi SuCrested Tern C

PENGUINSLittle Penguin Useen all year round

PETRELS & SHEARWATERSMost likely autumn, winter or in strong winds

Southern Giant-Petrel R IA Cape Petrel R Flesh-footed Shearwater U T IA

PELICANAustralian Pelican C

HERONS, EGRETS & BITTERNSNankeen Night-Heron UCattle Egret M IA White-necked Heron CGreat Egret C IA White-faced Heron C Little Egret MEastern Reef Egret U IA

IBIS & SPOONBILLSAustralian White Ibis CStraw-necked Ibis CYellow-billed Spoonbill MGlossy Ibis R IA

GANNETS & BOOBIESAustralasian Gannet C

CORMORANTS & SHAGSLittle Pied Cormorant CGreat Cormorant CLittle Black Cormorant CPied Cormorant C

DARTERAustralian Darter C

Painted Button-quail

* Introduced C CommonM Moderately commonU UncommonR Rare

T ThreatenedIA Protected by international agreementMi Migratory

Codes

Season present Sp Su Au Wi OSP Other specially protected

O Of conservation concern WA endemics are shown in bold

White-necked Heron

OSPREYOsprey M IA

EAGLES, KITES, GOSHAWKSBlack-shouldered Kite MSquare-tailed Kite RWedge-tailed Eagle ULittle Eagle RSwamp Harrier MBrown Goshawk UCollared Sparrowhawk UWhite-bellied Sea-Eagle U Whistling Kite C

MASKED OWLSBarn Owl U

HAWK-OWLSSouthern Boobook U

BEE-EATERRainbow Bee-eater U IA Mi Su

KINGFISHERSSacred Kingfisher U Mi SuLaughing Kookaburra C *

FALCONSNankeen Kestrel MAustralian Hobby RBrown Falcon UPeregrine Falcon R OSP

COCKATOOS & CORELLAS Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo WA’s endemic subsp Forest Red-tail U TBaudin’s Black-Cockatoo U T Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo U T Galah CLong-billed Corella MLittle Corella C

PARROTS, LORIKEETS & ROSELLASRegent Parrot URed-capped Parrot M Western Rosella R Australian Ringneck CElegant Parrot URock Parrot RPurple-crowned Lorikeet R

FAIRY-WRENS, EMU-WRENS AND GRASSWRENS Splendid Fairy-wren M Southern Emu-wren R

HONEYEATERS AND CHATS Brown Honeyeater MNew Holland Honeyeater CWhite-cheeked Honeyeater UWestern Spinebill R White-fronted Chat RWestern Wattlebird R Red Wattlebird CSinging Honeyeater C

PARDALOTESSpotted Pardalote UStriated Pardalote U

THORNBILLS & GERYGONESWestern Gerygone CWeebill C White-browed Scrubwren UYellow-rumped Thornbill UInland Thornbill MWestern Thornbill U

SITTELLAS Varied Sittella R

CUCKOO-SHRIKES & TRILLERSBlack-faced Cuckoo-shrike UWhite-winged Triller R Mi Su

WHISTLERS, SHRIKE-THRUSHES & ALLIESRufous Whistler UGolden Whistler UGrey Shrike-thrush R

WOODSWALLOWS, CURRAWONGS, BUTCHERBIRDS & MAGPIEGrey Currawong RAustralian Magpie C

WOODSWALLOWS, CURRAWONGS, BUTCHERBIRDS & MAGPIE continuedGrey Butcherbird MDusky Woodswallow UBlack-faced Woodswallow U

FANTAILSWillie Wagtail CGrey Fantail M

CROWS & RAVENSAustralian Raven C

MONARCH & FLYCATCHERSMagpie-lark C

AUSTRALIAN ROBINSScarlet Robin UWestern Yellow Robin R

PIPITS & WAGTAILSAustralasian Pipit R

GRASSBIRDSBrown Songlark RRufous Songlark RLittle Grassbird M

REED WARBLERSAustralian Reed-Warbler M

SWALLOWS & MARTINSTree Martin MWelcome Swallow C

WHITE-EYESSilvereye C

Western Yellow Robin