OCTOBER OUTING ~ BLUEWATER STATION ROAD ~ SUNDAY 23rd OCTOBER. We will explore a section of Bluewater Park that is located either side of the eastern end of Bluewater Station Rd. The area is well covered with sclerophyll forest and we hope to find a good selection of local birds. Adventurous people may like to explore the part of the block between the road and Bluewater Creek – this area slopes down to a creek section that isn’t flowing at present. We expect to find a pleasant spot beside the road for morning tea but, if not, we can move across the creek to the Bluewater Park Rest Area. Meeting time: At 9:00 am – allow 15-20 min for the drive from the northern outskirts of Townsville.
Meeting place: We will meet beside the section of Bluewater Station Road that runs beside Bluewater Creek. Bluewater Station Road is the turnoff left from the Bruce Hwy, just before crossing Bluewater Creek. The turnoff is 600m past the intersection of the Bruce Hwy and Bluewater Drive and has its own left-turn lane. The road turns right immediately past the turnoff and then turns left to the area where we will meet. The entrance to the Tarmaroo Scout Camp is close by. Transport: People will provide their own transport. Please email us if you can offer someone else a lift, or need a lift yourself.
What to bring: Good shoes for walking through the bush understorey and on the rocky creek bank (walking poles could be useful for those venturing down to Bluewater Creek), morning tea, *WATER*, gear for birdwatching, hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, and whatever else you think appropriate for an area with no facilities.
There has been a complaint about how boring recent outings have been and that we should be going to more interesting places. It does not seem appropriate as CO2 levels continue to rise, for a conservation group to be encouraging people in a large number of cars to drive long distances simply in search of novelty, regardless of what people may choose to do as individuals. However any suggestions for interesting areas to visit in or close to Townsville are welcome.
Celebrating Claude’s Block: Last year we rejoiced at the news that Claude’s Block, a valuable area of key koala habitat and other natural values on Magnetic Island, had been acquired by the Island’s conservation organisation, MINCA. Last Saturday the promised celebration of this conservation win was held on the site – giving an opportunity for many of us to view the land for the first time. It was a wonderful and very happy occasion and you can read about it here.
Aussie Bird Count is on again from 17-23 October 2022. Count birds anywhere in a 20 minute period as many times as you choose. You do not need to be an expert. Following the devastating fires of 2019-20 it is more important than ever to gather data about bird populations around the country !! At a recent event on Magnetic Island (see above) expert birder, Chris Corbett, spoke about the alarming drop in numbers of many of the species that usually migrate from southern states according to the seasons. We need to know what is happening and all information is valuable. For details, and to register, go to https://aussiebirdcount.org.au
FrogID week is on 11-20 November 2022. Last year’s count was over 37,000 frog records, and this year’s is expected to be bigger. Download the free FrogID app if you haven’t already (see this link) and be ready to record all frog calls. Our November update may not be available by 11th November and we don’t want you to miss a single croak.
A message to members and would-be members: If you are needing to renew your membership online, or wanting to take out a new membership, please use this link. We apologise that the Join/Renew button at the top of this page became non-functioning when the new Society website was installed and it’s not something that we can fix in Townsville. The techies are “working on it” but in the meantime, the above link will take you there. Remember, membership fees are shared between the Society and the individual Branch, so you are helping conservation efforts statewide.