Day 3, Airlie Beach to Mt Isa
Our first major survey site of the day is Lake Proserpine – a large (4,325 ha) impoundment used for recreational purposes with areas of deep and shallow water habitat.
Photo: Counting along the Burdekin River
Burdekin River
Survey details
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Date
Thursday 1 October 2026
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Author
John Porter
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Project
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Observers
John Porter (NSW DCCEEW), Heath Dunstan
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Pilot
Thomas Clark
Heading West from Shute Harbour along survey Band 10 (our most northerly band), our first major target is Proserpine Lake – a large impoundment of around 4,300ha that often supports large numbers of waterbirds.
Lake Proserpine
As we fly over the dam wall, we can see it is around 95% full, and there are thousands of waterbirds to keep us busy! – mainly Coots, Grey Teals, Hardheads, Black Swans, Pelicans, Cormorants, Darters and Grebes.
Continuing westward, we fly along the Bowen River, with clear pools supporting aquatic plants but relatively few waterbirds.
Burdekin River
Burdekin River
The Burdekin River is next, and we follow it upstream through its spectacular rocky gorges until we reach Lake Dalrymple, covering 22,400ha when full; it’s the largest man-made reservoir in Queensland.
The Lake is around 85-90% full, and we counted around the northern shoreline, finding moderate numbers of waterbirds, mainly fish-eating species, including Pelicans, Cormorants, Darters, Terns, Grebes, and Herons.
After refuelling at Hughenden, we continue westward – the landscape below us has good ground cover of grasses and forbs but is showing signs of drying rapidly after recent good rains. Our last major target of the day is Lake Moondarra – another man-made reservoir that supplies water to Mt Isa (our overnight stop). There are moderate numbers of waterbirds with high diversity – Black Ducks, Grey Teal, Hardhead, Wood Duck, Plumed Whistling Ducks, Pelicans, Cormorants, Herons, Egrets, Ibis, as well as Grebes, Coots, Terns and Pygmy Geese.
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