Wunjunga Wetlands

Visited: summer and autumn

Recommendation: I loved it here. Using a vehicle as a hide and stopping a dozen times along the route is a different way of birding but so productive. This area is stuffed full of birds and the photographic opportunities are great.

As I was returning from Mackay to Townsville I chose the oddly named Funny Dunny Campground to stay at. It was another low cost site and although I am generally rather humourless about silly place names, it was close to the beach, a river and a wetland. Nothing ventured ....

About 500m after I turned off the main road to head east to the sea, I turned a corner and it was like I had entered another world. As far as I could see, there was flat wetland teeming with birds. It was about 10km to the coast and it took me hours to get there. Never have I been so dumbfounded as I was by the Wunjunga Wetlands and during the couple of days I stayed there, the feeling just increased. It was a birder's paradise. I loved it and it.

I first started to see terns (identified as whiskered later) and egrets (several different species) and then cranes and storks. Just before I reached the campsite (which turned out to be as stupid as its name), there was a concentrated area of water, trees and open ground. A channel of water ran through the back of the area and to my delight pelicans were swimming down it. I could only see their heads and so had the wonderful vision of a line of pelican heads floating along just above the ground.

The next morning, I was out of the campsite before dawn and sat in this area with the light streaming behind me. Initially all the birds flew up as I approached but I just sat in the van and waited for them to return. They were considerate enough to come back slowly so I could focus on different species. The Black-necked Stork (Jabiru) is always a favourite and there were several stalking the shallow water as it got light.

Further down the road walking through long grass and shallow pools of water I saw 2 Brolga. I have only ever seen them at a distance before and I was amazed at how tall they were. It was an absolute dream to be so close to them and I pulled up and watched them until they strode away.

I had thought that this area might be a good place to find Australian Pratincole. I am always reading up on what birds I might find and so when I see a new bird, I usually know what they are. I prayed to the gods (well fairies really) to help me find pratincole. And I did. There was one, unmistakable. Then another and another. A whole family. I found several groups through the day and the next and it was just great. The light was never in quite the right place for photographs but I was so happy just to see them.

There were so many interesting birds to see at Wunjunga. Apparently, at times it is not so good but you can say that about any place. I was just thankful that whenever I have visited, it has been a good day! Here is a gallery of some of my many other highlights.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)