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:Â Burdekin River
Survey details
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Date
Thursday 2nd October 2025
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Author
John Porter
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Project
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Observers
John Porter (NSW DCCEEW), Chris Sanderson
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Pilot
Thomas Clark
Travelling on past Collinsville we follow the Bowen River westward. Initially it has dry stretches but becomes progressively wetter as we advance. We count low numbers of egrets, Darters, Pelicans, Black Duck and cormorants with a few Brolgas and Black-necked Storks.
Photo: Surveying along the Bowen River near Mt Johnnycake.
We then head along the Burdekin River, which is always a treat with it's spectacular stony gorges. We spot several crocodiles along the way, basking in the warm sun.
Burdekin River
Burdekin River
Burdekin River
Burdekin River
We head over the dam wall on the Burdekin and into the vast waters of Lake Dalrymple, where we count moderate numbers of Pelicans, cormorants, egrets, herons, Darters, terns as well as Black Duck and Grey Teal with occasional groups of Hardheads. Where the Burdekin river flows into the impoundment we encounter a large flock of several thousand Little Black Cormorants.
Travelling west we count along waterholes of the Campaspe River which are mostly dry or just small puddles, before we cross the rugged ridges of the White Mountains National Park.
After the White Mountains we count along the braided watercourses of the Flinders River and Julia Creek which are mostly dry and there are few waterbirds. We encounter similar dry conditions along the Cloncurry River which has only a few small pools of water with few waterbirds.
Our last major site is Lake Moondarra –  large impoundment that supplies water to Mt Isa but also provides excellent habitat for waterbirds. We find large numbers of cormorants, Pelicans and egrets with moderate numbers of Black Duck, Grey Teal, Plumed Whistling Ducks as well as coot, Darters, grebes, gulls, pygmy geese, ibis, stilts and lapwings.
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