Day 1, Sydney to Maroochydore

Date: Tuesday 3rd October 2023

Project: Eastern Australian Waterbird Survey

Observers: John Porter (NSW DPE), Shannon Dundas (NSW DPI) 

Trainee: Chris Sanderson (Qld DES)

Pilot: Thomas Clark

The forty first year of waterbird aerial surveys departs Sydney into clear skies but a gusty north westerly. Our first stop is Orange to pick up crew member Dr Shannon Dundas, expert waterbird counter and long-time contributor to the monitoring program. From Orange we head to the coast and onto the estuarine lakes of Myall Lakes. The lakes, protected by a National Park are in good condition but today support only low numbers of waterbirds – perhaps a few hundred Black Swans, Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants with the occasional Pelican, Darter and Great Cormorant. The wind has started to pick up strength and the temperature rises as we work our way around these large estuarine lakes.

Surveying Myall Lakes

Myall Lakes

Myall Lakes

Myall Lakes

Myall Lakes

Myall Lakes

From the Myall Lakes we continue north counting over a few small coastal wetlands around Nambucca Heads, Byron Bay and Brunswick Heads in Queensland. The coastal waters support dozens of humpback whales, and we see several mothers with calves leaping out of the water or rolling on their backs at the water’s surface and waving those distinctive pectoral fins in the air as if in greeting. After passing the Glass and Steel Canyons of the Gold Coast we head to Maroochydore for or first overnight stop.