Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecosystem Science

Day 7, Thargomindah to Tibooburra

Richard Kingsford headshot Richard Kingsford
Aerial photo of lake in desert landscape. Water is light brown, lake has numerous balls of green shrub tops protruding from the water as they have been inundated by the full lake. The surrounding landscape is made up of orange earth with other smaller brown shrubs growing in patches so some earth is still exposed.

Date: Monday October 10th 2022

Project: Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey

Observers: Richard Kingsford & Paul Wainwright

Pilot: Tim Dugan

Today we had a short day, giving us a chance to catch up on a few jobs. It was a stunning morning surveying some of the best wetlands in eastern Australia, including the flooded Bulloo Lakes at the end of the Bulloo River.
Photo of eucalypt being inundated by flowing floodwater in a river. with branches above the water and trunk submerged. Water is light brown colour. Tree is golden from the morning sunrise

We were treated to a lovely morning down on the Bulloo River with its full channel flowing.

Day 7 of survey started as we headed down the Bulloo River, picking up some of the flooded wetlands on its floodplain. 
Aerial photo of green vegetated landscape and very full creek channels with brown water meandering across the floodplain. Shadow of the aircraft is in foreground of photo. Small strip of sky above the horizon is clear and blue.

The Bulloo River was high enough for its distributary creeks to run onto the floodplains.

It was here we observed a reasonable density of waterbirds, including glossy ibis, plumed whistling-ducks, grey teal and pied stilts as well as Pacific herons. Some of these species must really like the newly flooded areas.

Even though there was a reasonably strong flood in the Bulloo, and the distributary creeks were overflowing, the Bulloo itself still hadn’t got high enough to really spread across the floodplains. This may change given the amount of water we saw up around Quilpie when we surveyed there. 

Surveying the Bulloo River.

The Bulloo River had very few waterbirds, just the odd pelican.
Aerial photo of river, river banks and floodplain. River has dark beige water and is full enough to be moving out onto floodplain on one side. Trees and shrubs grow on an island in the river and along one bank. Soil is orange brown and covered by patches of green and light yellow ground vegetation.

The Bulloo River is a very picturesque river, with its red rock bars, but they were mostly underwater today.
Aerial photo of steep cliff like river bank being cut of bright orange sand dune by flowing river full of beige water. Floodplain has consistent spread of vegetation in trees, shrubs and ground cover plants with orange soil exposed between. Horizon is at the top of the picture and the sky is blue and clear

In some places, the Bulloo cuts through the sand dunes creating almost small cliffs overlooking the river.

Eventually the Bulloo River peters out into several small channels which run through to the Bulloo Overflow and the two more permanent lakes.
Aerial photo of a lake with lush green vegetation growing on islands in the lake. Contrasting orange sandy soil at lake edge in background. Shadow of plane in foreground.

Surveying the two more permanent Bulloo Lakes.

These two lakes can be amazing when they are full and the islands are well established. Given the flood, I would not be surprised if these lakes really take off in terms of waterbird numbers and diversity. 

Surveying one of the Bulloo Lakes.

Today there were very few waterbirds but many signs for great things to come. There were a few swans, coot, grey teal and hardhead. And there was a colony of about 550 straw-necked ibis and perhaps up to a hundred white ibis breeding.
Aerial photo of a colony of ibis with some birds flying, some in vegetation. The vegetation is on islands within a lake. The water of the lake is brown.

Breeding colony of ibis on the Bulloo Lakes.

We ended the day at Tibooburra to refuel. This country has had a lot of rain and the flowers are fabulous. 
Close up photo of a cluster desert flowers that have petite white petals with yellow centres at the end of light green stems and leaves. The ground is bright orange soil

Paper daisies.
Close up photo of desert flowers that are bright yellow pom pom shaped at the end of very light green stems and leaves. The ground is bright orange soil

Button daisies.