Welcome to BirdLife Northern Queensland

Welcome to the home page of BirdLife Northern Queensland!

Pied Imperial-Pigeon PigeonImpPied2460F.jpg

Pied Imperial-Pigeon, Icon of BNQ.
(Courtesy Ian Montgomery, Birdway)

About BirdLife Northern Queensland (BNQ)
Our New Contact
Newsletter
News (latest 5 June 2013)
Coming Events (updated 11 June 2013)
Past Events
List of BirdLife NQ Committee Member 2013

ABOUT BirdLife Northern Queensland

On the 1st January 2012, Birds Australia and Bird Observers and Conservation Australia merged to form a single entity called BirdLife Australia. The outcome of the merger is the formation of two BirdLife Australia branches in northern Queensland that cover the geographic areas around the Townsville region, including Ayr, Charters Towers and Ingham and the Northern Queensland region covering west to the Northern Territory border, the Gulf and far northern from Cardwell to the Torres Strait Islands. The branches will be known as BirdLife Townsville and BirdLife Northern Queensland respectively.

BirdLife Northern Queensland (BNQ) is a regional branch of BirdLife Australia, and before the merger was known as Birds Australia North Queensland (BANQ).

OUR NEW CONTACT

You can contact us by email or write to: BirdLife Northern Queensland, PO Box 531, Port Douglas, Qld 4877.

The May 2013 issue of Contact Call, the Quarterly Magazine of BNQ/BANQ is now available in colour as a pdf file. Download it by clicking on the image on the left.

Visit the Newsletter page to obtain earlier versions of Contact Call and to download Adobe Reader. Members may choose to have a black and white printed version mailed to them.

If you would like to read The Drongo, the Quarterly Magazine of BirdLife Townsville, please click here to visit the newsletter page of BirdLife Townsville.

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NEWS

The first crane sighting of this season: A group of cranes flying over Pelican Point at about 6 pm on May 2013. We look forward to see as many members as possible on Sept 7 . This year we are going to attempt an all-day and evening count.(posted 5 June 2013)

The May Issue of Contact Call by our Editor Ceri Pearce is now available from the Newsletter page (posted 3 May 2013).

A link to Okhotsk Chapter of the Wild Bird Society of Japan was added to the Links page - Other bird organisations and groups (posted 30 April 2013)

All of our brochures have been updated with the BirdLife logo. Please download from the Brochures page (posted 10 April 2013)

The March Issue of Contact Call by our new Editor Ceri Pearce is now available from the Newsletter page (posted 11 Mar 2013).

Reports from AGM 2013 are now available from BirdLife Northern Queensland AGM 2013 (posted 7 Mar 2013)

The February issue of The Drongo, the Quarterly Magazine of BirdLife Townsville was just issued (posted 7 Mar 2013)

You can download a flyer for the Conservation of Beach-nesting Birds workshop (6 April 2013) from here. (posted 6 Mar 2013)

A new link (BirdLife Townsville's Newsletter Page) was added to the above Newsletter Section and the Newsletter Page (posted 3 Mar 2013)

Please note the date change for Yungaburra meeting (Monday 6th May is no longer included) (posted 26 Feb 2013)

Please note that Birding Mt.Isa has been cancelled (posted on 24 Feb 2013)

Information for Workshop: Conservation of Beach-nesting Birds on April 6 (posted on 8 Feb 2013)

Read the Twitcharthon Report (BirdLife Challenge Count Dec 2012) from Dominic Chaplin (posted 17 Jan 2013)

The December Issue of Contact Call by our Editor Karen Doyle is now available from the Newsletter page (posted 27 Nov 2012).

Information for Christmas Gathering and BBQ at Cattana Wetlands on 8 Dec 2012 (posted on 15 Nov 2012)

Information for BNQ Group Meeting with a special guest on 16 Nov 2012 (posted on 27 Oct 2012)

Information updated for Black Throated Finch Waterhole Count (posted on 4 Oct 2012)

Shorebird Workshop Cairns 2012 presented by Golo Maurer, Shorebirds 2020 manager, BirdLife Australia on 20 Oct 2012. See more details (posted on 4 Oct 2012)

Bird Week 2012 Event: Alan Gillanders will be offering a free Birding for Beginners session on 27 Oct 2012 (posted 15 Sept 2012)

The September Issue of Contact Call by our Editor Karen Doyle is now available from the Newsletter page (posted 13 Sept 2012).

A new link (Crane Week) was added to Conservation: Bird species and issues on the Links page (posted 8 Sept 2012)

Information updated for Bird Surveys at Yourka (posted 8 Sept 2012)

Information updated for Mission Beach Pied Imperial Pigeon Counts (posted 6 Sept 2012)

20 YEAR RETURN TO SILVER PLAINS ON CAPE YORK - CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS (posted 17 July 2012)

Information updated for July 2012 weekend events. Please be aware of the date change (posted 29 June 2012)

Information updated for Minnamoolka Station - Mt. Garnet Campout. Please read (posted 24 June 2012)

Read the report on the outing to Cattana Wetlands, on 20 May 2012 (posted 2 June 2012)

The June Issue of Contact Call by our Editor Karen Doyle is now available from the Newsletter page (posted 31 May 2012).

A new version of the Lake Eacham brochure has been linked to the Brochures page (posted 24 April 2012).

Read the report on the annual Wave the Waders Goodbye, at Cairns Esplanade on 31 March 2012 (posted 24 April 2012).

Read the report on the outing to Gourka Road, Atherton Tableland, on 19 February 2012 (posted 4 March 2012).

The March Issue of Contact Call by our Editor Karen Doyle is now available from the Newsletter page (posted 2 March 2012). This is the first edition to be published as the newsletter of BirdLife Northern Queensland and features Victoria's Riflebird, a characteristic and beautiful endemic of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

Read the comprehensive report on the Buff-breasted Button-quail. It gives detailed information about the successful BANQ survey held in December 2011 and a review of information about the species and recent sightings. (Posted 17 February 2012)

Read the beautifully illustrated report on the inaugural BirdLife Northern Queensland outing to Michaelmas Cay on 14 January 2012. (Posted 20 January 2012)

Read the report on the October 2011 weekend outing to Mount Surprise, Georgetown, Minnamoolka Station and 40 Mile Scrub (posted 8 January 2012).

A new brochure of the Cattana Wetlands north of Cairns has been added to the brochures page (14 December 2011).

The final report of the 2011 Survey on Carpentarian Grasswrens has just been published. Visit the new Grasswrens page to read about this and earlier grasswren projects and to download a copy of the report. (Posted 19 October 2011)

Keith Fisher of Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers' Lodge and former secretary of BANQ has tracked down a copy of the missing issue of Contact Call from March 1996. Thank you, Keith! (Posted 1 October 2011)

Karen Doyle, indefatigable editor of our newsletter Contact Call, has tracked down all except one of the missing issues from the 1990s. They give interesting insights into the history of BANQ: check them out on the Newsletter page. (Posted 28 September 2011)

Check out the details of the search for the Buff-breasted Buttonquail on the weekend of the 3-4 December 2011 (posted 20 September 2011).

The Links Page has just had a major make-over to fix broken links and remove out of date ones (14 September 2011).

A preliminary report on the Annual Crane Count, Atherton Tableland, 3 September 2011 has been posted (8 September 2011).

A report on Birding at Daintree, August 20 2011, has been posted (8 September 2011).

A new brochure on Tyto Wetlands in Ingham has been added to the Brochures page (8 September 2011).

A new version of the Mt Isa brochure has been linked to the Brochures page (posted 8 May 2011).

A copy of the 2010 Progress Report has been linked to the Black-throated Finch Recovery page (posted 29 April 2011).

Read the report on Wave the Waders Goodbye, 2011 (posted 7 April 2011)

A new project page has been added for the Black-throated Finch Recovery Team (31 March 2011)

The Atherton Tableland brochure has been updated (30 March 2011)

A new brochure of the Iron Range area on Cape York has been added to the brochures page (27 February 2011).

Minor updates to the brochure of the Cooktown District have been made (27 February 2011)

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COMING EVENTS

July 2013

Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July : Port Douglas Birding Weekend

Saturday – Birding the Mossman River by boat with Murray Hunt of Daintree Boatman Nature

Tours (6th July)
1st Mossman Cruise – leaving from Newell Beach boat ramp at 6.45am-returns 8.00am
2nd Mossman Cruise – leaving from Newell Beach boat ramp at 8.15am-returns 9.30am
Bookings Essential. Contact Murray at 0417651929 Cost - $20 p/p payable at the boat.

Club meeting at Wildlife Habitat - Saturday 5.30pm for 6pm start - 7pm

Speaker - Clare Anderson, Birds of the ‘Habitat’ and Del Richards - “Christmas Island Experience"

Bird Trivia Quiz - Murray Hunt

Sunday 7th at 7.00am Bird Walks (Port Douglas area)

Meet at Habitat Parking area. Birding with Doug Herrington. We will visit various locations around the Port Douglas area.

More information contact Murray Hunt 0417 651 929 or Doug Herrington 0418 757 288

Crane Forum – date to be announced

August 2013

Saturday 3rd August 6pm : Club Meeting at Cominos House

27 Greenslopes St (corner of Little St), Edge Hill (Cairns)
Speaker – Martin Willis on Bird Photography and how to do it

Please visit Martin Willis Photographs

Thursday 8th August 1pm to 5pm : Cominos House 27 Greenslopes St (corner of Little St), Edge Hill (Cairns)

Practical Bird Photography – follow-up on Saturday’s talk also with Martin Willis

Please visit Martin Willis Photographs

Sunday 18th August : Birding Mt Lewis with Doug Herrington

Meet 7.30am on corner of Churchill Crk Rd opposite the Highlander Tavern. Please e-mail Doug if you wish to attend. (this replaces the Brooklyn Station Campout)

September 2013

Saturday 7th September : Crane Count and Club Meeting

Crane Count

We look forward to see as many members as possible on Sept 7 . This year we are going to attempt an all-day and evening count.

Contact: Virginia Simmonds at phone 07 4095 8302

Club Meeting at Malanda.

Speaker – Graham Harrington - "Birding in India and the Indian Race of the Sarus Crane"

Contact Virginia Simmonds at phone 07 4095 8302

Sunday 8th September : Birding trips in the Malanda area

21st September to 5th October : Silver Plains Survey - Proposed

"Twenty one years ago the national RAOU Congress and Campout was held at Silver Plains Pastoral Station. A formal survey of all major vegetation types was undertaken. Permission has been sought from the Kulla Land Trust, who now control that area, to repeat these surveys. The area concerned is north of the Massy River near Port Stewart to the Chester River and incorporates the eastern slopes of the McIlwraith Range". Bush camping with no facilities

More information contact Graham Harrington at 07 40965051

October 2013

Sunday 6th October 6.30am : Birding Centenary Lakes with John Seale

Meet 6:30am at Fresh Water Lake, Greenslopes St opposite the Rondo Theatre

Saturday 12th October 6pm to 8pm : Club Meeting at Cominos House

Guest speaker 1 - Alan Gillanders on "Birding Costa Rica"
27 Greenslopes St (corner of Little St), Edge Hill (Cairns)

Guest speaker 2 - Alan Henderson "Minibeasts in rainforest" Please visit Minibeast Wildlife

- Minibeasts Talk followed by a night walk in the park

Friday 19 to Tuesday 23 October : Yourka Survey (Proposed)

Annual survey of the Bush Heritage property, "Yourka". This is a major contribution to the future management of this property. Accommodation in building with kitchen and hot showers. Contact Graham Harrington Email, 07 4096 5051

November 2013

Saturday 2nd November : PIP Count and Club Meeting (Mission Beach)

Contact: Trish Pontynen at Mobile: 0417 735 410 or Email

Sunday 3rd November : Outing in the Mission Beach area

Birding with Helen Larson in the Mission Beach area. Location and time TBA

December 2013

Sunday 1st December : Twichathon/Challenge Count

Please contact Dominic Chaplin Email for details

Saturday 7th December – Group Meeting and Christmas Do

Details TBA

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PAST EVENTS

Birding Centenary Lakes with John Seale on 2 June 2013

Club Meeting at Cominos House (Guest Speaker: Jane Chidgey) on 1 June 2013

Artemis Station Golden Shoulder Parrot Campout 22 - 27 May 2013

Grasswren Survey 11 - 24 May 2013

Yungaburra Birding Weekend and Club Meeting on 3 - 5 May 2013

Birding Etty Bay on 20 April 2013

Birding Centenary Lakes with John Seale on 7 April 2013

Conservation of Beach-nesting Birds: Northern and Southern Coast perspectives on 6 April 2013

Club Meeting at Cominos House on 6 April 2013

Wave the Waders Goodbye on 17 Mar 2013

AGM and Club Meeting on 2 Mar 2013

Birding Centenary Lakes with John Seale on 3 Feb 2013

Club Meeting at Cominos House on 2 Feb 2013

Campout at Kingfisher Park Birdwatchers Lodge 25-28 Jan 2013

Buff-breasted Button-quail search on 5-6 Jan 2013

Christmas Gathering and BBQ at Cattana Wetlands on 8 Dec 2012

BirdLife Challenge Count - Twitchathon on 2 Dec 2012

BNQ Group Meeting Special guest presenter, John Kanowski on 16 Nov 2012

Mission Beach Pied Imperial Pigeon Counts on 10 Nov 2012

Bird Week 2012 : Birding for Beginners on 27 Oct 2012

Black-throated Finch waterhole count on 20 Oct 2012

Shorebird Workshop Cairns 2012 presented by Golo Maurer, Shorebirds 2020 manager, BirdLife Australia on 20 Oct 2012

20 YEAR RETURN TO SILVER PLAINS ON CAPE YORK - CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS on 12-19 Oct 2012

Bird Surveys at Yourka (Bush Heritage property near Innot Hot Springs) on 20-24 Sept 2012

Crane Count Weekend on 1-2 September 2012

BirdLife Northern Queensland at Wildlife Habitat - Presentations and Trivia Quiz + Sausage Sizzle on July 28 2012

Minnamoolka Station. Mt. Garnet. Campout on 21-23 July 2012

Queen's Birthday Long Weekend Campout - Joint Event with BirdLife Townsville on 9-11 June 2012

Outing to Cattana Wetlands on 20 May 2012

Final AGM of BANQ and Formation Meeting of BirdLife Northern Queensland, Yungaburra, 21 April 2012 (Download Minutes)

Wave the Waders Goodbye, Cairns, 31 March 2012.

Outing to Gourka Road on 19 February 2012.

Inaugural BirdLife Northern Queensland outing to Michaelmas Cay on 14 January 2012.

Successful Buff-breasted Button-quail Survey, December 2011.