Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve, Bald Hills, Brisbane QLD.

Tinchi Tamba Wetlands

While in Brisbane we dropped into Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve. Love that name! At Deep Water Bend on the Pine River there is a boat ramp, fishing pontoon, toilets, picnic shelters with tables and BBQ's.

First we did the Island Circuit; a pleasant, easy, 1.8 km walk through mangroves and casaurinas with views over the Pine River.

Brisbane City Council Information Sign.

Boardwalk on the Island Track

A patch of samphire surrounded by marine couch.

There were a number of butterflies about. Mostly Common Crow, Yellow Albatross and Large Grass Yellows. Many of the Sheoaks (casuarinas) we passed were smothered by Monkey Vine which is a parasitic weed however, it is also a host plant for the Common Crow butterfly. 

Yellow Albatross, male and Large Grass Yellow.

It was a windy day but we still managed to see a few birds on the walk.

Grey Fantail and Striated Pardalote

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet and Rufous Whistler

After the Island Track we walked to the Bird Hide which overlooks Bald Hills Creek. This is an easy walk of about 1 km return. 

Bird Hide at Tinchi Tamba Wetlands

The middle of winter isn't prime time for shorebirds and the tide was out so we weren't surprised that we could only see a couple of birds in the distance. 

View from the bird hide.

Bird List: Brahminy Kite, Little Pied Cormorant, Little Egret, Intermediate Egret, Grey Fantail, Noisy Friarbird, White-faced Heron, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Australian White Ibis, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Noisy Miner, Striated Pardalote, Silver Gull, Grey Shrike-thrush, Royal Spoonbill, Welcome Swallow, Caspian Tern, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail.

Anstead Bushland Reserve, Brisbane, QLD.

Picnic area next to the car park at Anstead Bushland Reserve.

While in Brisbane recently we decided to drop into Anstead Bushland Reserve on our way home. There didn't seem to be much information about where to walk but we saw a man returning to the car park with his dog so we decided to head off in the direction that he had come from. We had a pleasant, easy walk around the park of about 2 km. The first surprise of the morning was a group of about 10 Apostlebirds. We only visit Brisbane from time to time and this is the first time we've ever seen Apostlebirds in Brisbane.

Apostlebird

The second surprise, was a lookout over the Brisbane River and Sugars Quarry. There was information here about the history of Sugars Quarry.

Lookout in Anstead Bushland Reserve

It was a very windy day and we didn't see as many birds as we might otherwise have but there were lots of Monarch butterflies about.

Monarch

We finished our short visit with morning tea in the picnic area.

Bird List: Apostlebird, Pied Butcherbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Australian Wood Duck, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Lewin’s Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, Straw-necked Ibis, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian Magpie, Noisy Miner, Crested Pigeon, Eastern Yellow Robin, Grey Shrike-thrush, Weebill, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Willie Wagtail.

Details for Anstead Bushland Reserve:
Where: Hawkesbury Road, Anstead, Brisbane.
No camping.
Free access.
Facilities: Car Park, toilets, gas BBQ's, picnic shelters and picnic tables, walking tracks, lookout, information board. Dogs allowed on leash. Horses allowed on some tracks.