Pelican Forest Track, Pelican Waters, Golden Beach, Caloundra QLD

View from Pelican Forest Track

Pelican Forest Track consists of three short tracks that combine to about 3 km in the Pelican Forest Rehabilitation Project. The track starts off at the northern end of Tweddle Drive, however there is no parking area. We usually combine the walk with a visit to an excellent small park at the very end of Bond Street, where there are a couple of parking bays opposite the million dollar houses. As the streets are new, this whole area can be hard to find on a map or car GPS so you might find this GPS co-ordinate helpful S26 48.944  E153 06.613

In the park, there is a picturesque sheltered picnic table overhanging the canal.

A large bird nesting platform has been erected here and is occupied by Ospreys.

Eastern Osprey

An amazing number of birds live in this small park. There are White-breasted Woodswallows living in the hollows of one of the larger trees. We have seen Cuckoo-shrikes, White-faced Herons, Pale-headed Rosellas, and Australian Pipits to name just a few. On one visit we enjoyed watching a pair of Willie Wagtails waiting to be fed by their parents.

Willie Wagtail Chicks

From the park we walk along Marmont Street, then take the boardwalk to Tweedle Drive. If the ospreys are not at their nest they can often be found in this area. From here the Pelican Forest Tracks start. The Pelican Forest Rehabilitation Project has only been undertaken since 2012 and it is still common to see work being carried out here. There are several distinct flora areas and a “macropod meadow” has been created for kangaroos and wallabies to graze.

Callistemons planted along the tracks.

Pelican and Lamerough Creeks support a variety of water birds and a turtle and Wallum Sedgefrog habitat. There are information signs and picnic shelters along the tracks.

One morning we noticed a Black Swan sleeping on the creek bank. This swan appeared to be immature as it had not developed full black colouring. The curious thing was that it had greenery draped over the inside of its neck. We have tried researching Google to see if this is a trait of Black Swans but were unable to find any references to this behaviour. The Black Swan certainly blended into the creek bank and although a large bird it was quite hard to see with its head tucked out of sight and the reeds draped over its neck.

Sleeping Black Swan

Black Swan 

We have often sighted delightful Double-barred Finches on our walks here.

Double-barred Finch

Some of the other birds that we have seen on the tracks include Variegated Fairy-wrens, Striated Pardalotes, Brown Honeyeaters and Peaceful Doves. The most common water birds are Egrets, Black Swans and Pacific Black Ducks.

Pacific Black Duck

Great Egret