Noosa Botanic Garden, Lake Macdonald, QLD.

After our morning visit to the Fearnley Bird Hide (see previous blog) we made our way to Noosa Botanic Gardens on Lake Macdonald Drive. First we stopped on the lake edge for a picnic morning tea overlooking the lake.

Fortified we walked up to the Botanic Gardens and had a very pleasant stroll around the grounds. We discovered that there are beautiful picnic areas in the gardens as well.

We loved the Sausage Tree Kigelia africana which was fruiting and flowering at the same time.

The gardens are landscaped into different areas including a small Sculpture Garden.

The amphitheater is very impressive and it is easy to imagine weddings and performances being held in such a beautiful setting.

We seemed to have chosen the hottest day of the year to walk around but despite the heat there were a few birds and butterflies around. We saw our photography nemesis, a Blue Triangle and of cause we got a photo of a Blue Tiger as they have been so numerous this summer.

Grey Butcherbird

Blue-faced Honeyeater, juvenile

Laughing Kookaburra

Blue Tiger Tirumala hamata

The Bird of Paradise Strelitzia reginae was putting on a good show.

We had planned on exploring further around the Lake Macdonald and having a picnic lunch at another park on the lake but due to the unseasonable hot weather we decided to head home early. I'm sure we will be back.

All photos were taken in March 2015

Jabiru Park and Fearnley Bird Hide, Lake Macdonald, QLD.

View from the Car Park

Jabiru Park is about a 15 minute drive west of Noosa or 5 minutes east of Cooroy on the Sunshine Coast. Drive along the Cooroy-Noosa Road, from either direction, and take the sharp turn into Grange Road, then turn immediately left and follow Grange Road to the end where there is a small parking area and a picnic shelter. It is a short walk to Fearnley Bird Hide from the car park.

Fearnley Bird Hide

There were large numbers of Magpie Geese present when we visited in March and we enjoyed watching them bobbing up and down with their tails in the air. 

Magpie Goose

Most of the birds were a bit far away for us to take good photos. We also found that there were more birds in the direction of the morning sun so it might be better to come here in the afternoon (or Murphy's Law might be in play and the birds will probably move to be in front of the afternoon sun).

We saw Magpie Geese, Pelicans, Black Swans, Darter, Little Black Cormorants, Pacific Black Ducks, Hardhead Ducks, White Ibis, Egrets, Purple Swamphens, and Eurasian Coots. A pair of Plumbed Whistling Ducks were chaperoning ten chicks near the car park. Other birds that can be seen here include Black-necked Storks and Grebes.

We saw quite a few butterflies on the walk to the hide. We've never seen so many Evening Browns in one area before. 

Evening Brown on an uncomfortable perch

Wide-brand Grass-dart Suniana sunias

Splendid Ochre Trapezites symmomus

There were lots of dragonflies and Damselflies about:

Common Bluetail

After our visit here we drove to the Noosa Botanic Gardens, the subject of our next blog.

All photos taken in March 2015.