I am pretty sure you will be successful in
finding BBBQ if you go up to Inskip Point, the southern jumping-off point to
Fraser Island. You go north from Brisbane on the Bruce Highway, turn off towards
the coast on the southern side of Gympie in the direction of Rainbow Beach.
Inskip is about 10km beyond Rainbow Beach. It is sealed all the way, but at the
end, you have to be careful of sand if driving in a 2WD vehicle. The first time
we saw BBBQ we drove to the end of the bitumen, parked the car, and hadn't even
got out of the car when we saw our first. Last time we were there camping we
were into our second day before we saw them, as 4 wandered past our camp -
but we had not been looking for them. That was earlier this year. We are coming
into the dry season now, and sand is more treacherous when it is dry. Stay on
the bitumen if in a 2WD.
---------------------------------------------------
And so I went for the day, which I'd like to
share.
5 hours at Inskip Point, north of Rainbow Beach in
Queensland, 25th July:-
The sun was shining from a gloriously blue sky, and
the 4WD tracks criss-crossed in the sandy point, hopover place for the punt to
Fraser Island. And yet, a flock of Double-banded Plovers in breeding finery,
together with Red-necked Stints AND a Beach Stone-curlew beside some driftwood,
seemed unphased!
With vocalising Mangrove Honeyeaters about me, and
confiding Little (Rufous) Shrike-thrushes foraging, I hunkered down by circular
scrapes, "platelets", in the coastal undergrowth, hardly daring to breathe -
hoping for a glimpse of my 'target bird' ...Black-breasted Button-quail!
Well, you've got to be in it to win it, and after
several hours at different locations, close to the narrow golden beach of
Pelican Bay at Inskip, a pair appeared - first the female, then the male. They
drew close, all the time feeding while creating those distinctive
crater-like depressions, by scratching litter from under body with feet while
turning full circle or two half-circles from opposite sides of depression
(HANZAB). It was good to be alive!
Cheers
Peter Madvig / Beecroft
