Cairns Esplanade south Qld

Survey Point Cairns Esplanade south Qld
Latitude -16.9155600 (16° 54′ 56″ S)
Longitude 145.7733300 (145° 46′ 24″ E)

This is a birding hotspot, the best time is at the high tide when the birds are close to the wall. It’s a most incongruous place, with rampant tourism and hundreds of people on one side of the wall and hundreds of waders on the other side totally oblivious to the wild life on our side of the wall.The gardens also hold some human tolerant species.

No free camping is allowed here

Surveys done 6

Blogs:

Melbourne to Cairns area via Newell Hwy, Carnarvon NP, Eungela NP. Return via Julia Creek, Quilpie, Lake Bindagolly. 2010

Birdsville track and Cape York trip 2015

  • Rock Dove
    Columba livia
    6 (100.00%)
  • Spotted Dove
    Streptopelia chinensis
    2 (33.33%)
  • Peaceful Dove
    Geopelia placida
    5 (83.33%)
  • Bar-shouldered Dove
    Geopelia humeralis
    1 (16.67%)
  • Torresian Imperial-Pigeon
    Ducula spilorrhoa
    5 (83.33%)
  • Australian Swiftlet
    Aerodramus terraereginae
    1 (16.67%)
  • Australian Pied Oystercatcher
    Haematopus longirostris
    2 (33.33%)
  • Red-capped Plover
    Charadrius ruficapillus
    3 (50.00%)
  • Lesser Sand Plover
    Charadrius mongolus
    3 (50.00%)
  • Black-fronted Dotterel
    Elseyornis melanops
    2 (33.33%)
  • Masked Lapwing
    Vanellus miles
    5 (83.33%)
  • Whimbrel
    Numenius phaeopus
    5 (83.33%)
  • Eastern Curlew
    Numenius madagascariensis
    5 (83.33%)
  • Bar-tailed Godwit
    Limosa lapponica
    4 (66.67%)
  • Black-tailed Godwit
    Limosa limosa
    3 (50.00%)
  • Great Knot
    Calidris tenuirostris
    4 (66.67%)
  • Red Knot
    Calidris canutus
    1 (16.67%)
  • Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
    Calidris acuminata
    2 (33.33%)
  • Curlew Sandpiper
    Calidris ferruginea
    5 (83.33%)
  • Red-necked Stint
    Calidris ruficollis
    5 (83.33%)
  • Terek Sandpiper
    Xenus cinereus
    1 (16.67%)
  • Grey-tailed Tattler
    Tringa brevipes
    3 (50.00%)
  • Common Greenshank
    Tringa nebularia
    1 (16.67%)
  • Silver Gull
    Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
    6 (100.00%)
  • Little Tern
    Sternula albifrons
    2 (33.33%)
  • Australian Gull-billed Tern
    Gelochelidon macrotarsa
    2 (33.33%)
  • Caspian Tern
    Hydroprogne caspia
    1 (16.67%)
  • Lesser Crested Tern
    Thalasseus bengalensis
    1 (16.67%)
  • Australian Pelican
    Pelecanus conspicillatus
    6 (100.00%)
  • Striated Heron
    Butorides striata
    1 (16.67%)
  • Great Egret
    Ardea alba
    4 (66.67%)
  • Intermediate Egret
    Ardea intermedia
    2 (33.33%)
  • White-faced Heron
    Egretta novaehollandiae
    4 (66.67%)
  • Eastern Reef Egret
    Egretta sacra
    3 (50.00%)
  • Australian White Ibis
    Threskiornis moluccus
    1 (16.67%)
  • Straw-necked Ibis
    Threskiornis spinicollis
    1 (16.67%)
  • Royal Spoonbill
    Platalea regia
    1 (16.67%)
  • Little Black Cormorant
    Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
    1 (16.67%)
  • Osprey
    Pandion haliaetus
    1 (16.67%)
  • Rainbow Bee-eater
    Merops ornatus
    1 (16.67%)
  • Sacred Kingfisher
    Todiramphus sanctus
    1 (16.67%)
  • Rainbow Lorikeet
    Trichoglossus moluccanus
    5 (83.33%)
  • Double-eyed Fig-Parrot
    Cyclopsitta diophthalma
    1 (16.67%)
  • Little Friarbird
    Philemon citreogularis
    1 (16.67%)
  • Brown Honeyeater
    Lichmera indistincta
    5 (83.33%)
  • Yellow Honeyeater
    Stomiopera flava
    1 (16.67%)
  • Varied Honeyeater
    Gavicalis versicolor
    3 (50.00%)
  • White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
    Coracina papuensis
    2 (33.33%)
  • Australasian Figbird
    Sphecotheres vieilloti
    5 (83.33%)
  • White-breasted Woodswallow
    Artamus leucorynchus
    5 (83.33%)
  • Willie Wagtail
    Rhipidura leucophrys
    6 (100.00%)
  • Magpie-lark
    Grallina cyanoleuca
    5 (83.33%)
  • House Sparrow
    Passer domesticus
    6 (100.00%)
  • Welcome Swallow
    Hirundo neoxena
    5 (83.33%)
  • Common Myna
    Acridotheres tristis
    6 (100.00%)