BIRDERS FLOCKED TO FRASER            

2009 BIRD WEEK WRAP UP

A wonderful week of bird spotting was enjoyed by all at our eighth annual Bird Week here on Fraser as an eagle-eyed crowd (both new and regulars) flocked to the resort for a fabulous week full of birding adventures.

Hikes, walks, talks, art and photo workshops were huge hits as were the four-wheel-drive tours - to the Valley of the Giants, 75-Mile Beach, Lake McKenzie, Central Station and newly-added Indian Head - all of which showcased the natural beauty of Fraser.

The skies cleared beautifully (minus the one sneaky day of wet weather) to provide some fantastic bird watching, plant spotting, bushwalking and appreciation of the great outdoors.

Our feathered friends didn't disappoint, with five new species (a record for Bird Week) sighted much to the delight of our twitchers and staff! The Inskip Point trip was a huge success with Black-breasted Button-quails turning on a much anticipated show.

Even lounging by the pool and wandering the wallum near the resort showcased exceptional sightings - with Azure Kingfishers and Red-backed Fairy Wrens making cameo appearances.
On the water, the RAMSAR cruises showcased Dugongs, Indo-pacific Humpback Dolphins and of course Fraser's feathered friends! The last day sighted a near-record of ten Beach Stone-Curlews bobbing, calling and eating soldier crabs.

And Mother Nature didn't disappoint with some spectacular sunsets at the Jetty Hut, which were a wonderful way to end some big day of birding.

The resort itself was a hive of activity, with photography excursions and water-colour pencil, painting and sketching classes. A lovely exhibition by Janet Flinn, Sandra Temple and Gail Higgins was complemented with our birders' own work and some awesome photography from Darran Leal and students.

Huge thanks go out to our presenters, old and new, for sharing their knowledge, time and experience with guests so eager to learn. This year we welcomed first-time Bird Week twitchers Ian Fraser, Darryl Jones, Barry Davies and Neil MacLeod. Ian enthralled us with his account of weird and wonderful bird names and Darryl provided thoughtful insight into the spectacular and strange world of the megapodes. So to, Barry Davies brought to us his colourful experiences on Norfolk Island and in Melanesia and Neil followed suit with his talk on Namibian desert birds.

Presentations were enticing and brilliant, as we learnt how to fly from a Pelican's perspective with Jeremy Robertson. Darryl Jones' presentation "Running away from home at birth" got us all thinking that mound-building birds are the coolest! Linda Cross uncovered everything ‘wader and shorebird' giving us insight into their life from start to end of migration. Barry Davies brought to life the colour and wonder of Norfolk Island and Melanesian birds. And a huge thank you to Ian Fraser for his nightly bird calls quizzes (which kept a few of us up to all hours at night in deep thought!).

The week could not happen of course without Clive Allen overseeing proceedings at Evening Bird Call. And our sincere thanks go to the dedicated members of the Hervey Bay Birdwatching Club for their local knowledge, friendliness and leadership throughout the week - particularly on Wednesday's Hervey Bay Outing- which was a ripper!

Five new species (a record to date!) were added to the Bird Week list including the Northern Mallard, White-eared Monarch, Kelp Gull, Wandering Tattler, and Black Bittern - proving Fraser is still a hot spot for bird biodiversity.

Over the eight years of Bird Week we now have a sightings list of 219 species putting us in good stead for many more fabulous Fraser Island Bird Weeks. Until next time...