Shorebirds Report
November 2007
Wader monitoring and Saltmarsh Protection at Cooloola Cove
Envirofund Project 64888
We live in a great place! Sometimes some of us have a moan about some service or other that we wish were closer but none of us would like to see our beauty spots concreted over. Up till now we have been able to just quietly enjoy our own favourite spots without worrying that anyone would be overusing or damaging them. With the population in the area increasing and more visitors coming it is time to ensure that unique places of special importance around the bay are properly signposted and protected.
One such spot is a large shallow inlet in the Cooloola Cove end of the bay. This place has no name and a casual observer might not at first see its importance. This is not a pretty or beautiful site to grace the pages of a calendar! Much of the area is covered with salt-marsh vegetation. These are plants that survive under salt water on very high tides, and without any water in very dry conditions most of the year. The plants are low growing and brownish-red in dry times. In between the plants the ground is covered with an algal growth that is wrinkled and black like some old piece of hide.
However, what looks so poor to humans is a wonderful environment for fish and birds. When the tide comes up around the plants this becomes a perfect nursery for juvenile fish. There is nourishment and shelter and these tiny fish replenish the fish stock in the bay. When the tide goes out tiny crabs and even tinier shellfish are seen among the plants. The plants produce tiny flowers and then seeds. All of these become food for shorebirds.
I was first introduced to this area as a place where migratory shorebirds roost. There are only four shorebird roosts in the area of the bay south of Inskip Point and this one is special because it is the only one accessible by land – the others need a boat to get to them. Certainly we see a few birds roosting in many other places but this roost has up to 1800 birds and 27 different species roosting at one time.
Cooloola Coastcare has applied for and been granted funding to put in informative signage, and to erect bollards at the entrance to the site with signs to warn of roosting shorebirds. We have also committed to monitoring both the vegetation and the birds for 15 months. Although the informative signage will be in the Mullens Creek picnic area the site itself is further north along the bay side and the bollards will be erected immediately around the site – not anywhere near the picnic area.
This is a unique place and an absolutely wonderful place for birding enthusiasts! Over the next couple of months we intend to conduct guided bird watching walks to the site. We want to show anyone who is interested just how great this area is.
Proposed dates for December are Monday the 10th December meeting at 9am at the Mullens Creek picnic area, and Monday the 17thDecember meeting at 1:30pm at the Mullens Creek Picnic area. There will be a walk of approximately 1 km along the foreshore and you will need binoculars, shoes capable of going in the water, sunscreen and insect repellent.
If you want to join us please phone Dorothy Pashniak on 54880057. We guarantee you will see some interesting shorebirds!