Quite a crowd gathered at the Freshwater lagoon bird hide on the Town Common ready for the ascent of Many Peaks, forming a long single-file line as we crossed the bund wall to reach Bald Rock and the start of the climb. The solitary brolga was stately and beautiful but seemed a very far cry from the hundreds that once congregated here “in the dry”. Even if the extended wet in some parts of the north has encouraged some birds to spread out, things certainly ain’t what they used to be.
This track gives wonderful views across the Common towards the city and, as you climb higher, you can see north across Halifax Bay and its islands to Hinchinbrook. The keen walkers (and the most fit) went at a faster pace so were already at the summit enjoying their rest when the tail-enders arrived. Those who were keen to make a more scrambly walk, and complete the whole of the track to Pallarenda, joined Carole who had come that way and conveniently had transport at the other end. This part of the track has had a few rockslides and in one or two places is not entirely clear, but if you are careful and walk with a friend it is certainly do-able.
The rest of us returned very slowly the way we had come and, having enjoyed sightings of several raptors including an osprey, brahminy kite, whistling kite and kestrel, the icing on the cake was a sea-eagle perched obligingly in a tree a few metres from where we had left our cars. My camera had run out of battery very early in the day, but luckily Margaret had hers! Our bird list for the day is below.
MANY PEAKS 23/6/19 | Pied cormorant | Spangled drongo |
Brahminy kite | Little black cormorant | Little shrike-thrush |
Whistling kite | Darter | Brown honeyeater |
Black kite | White-necked heron | Yellow honeyeater |
White-bellied sea eagle | White-faced heron | Leaden flycatcher |
Nankeen kestrel | Masked lapwing | Grey fantail |
Eastern osprey | Peaceful dove | Yellow-bellied sunbird |
Magpie goose | Australian white ibis | White-breasted woodswallow |
Brolga | Rainbow lorikeet | Welcome swallow |
Intermediate egret | Rainbow bee-eater | Torresian crow |
Eastern great egret | Black-faced cuckoo-shrike |