MEDIA RELEASE
September 10th 2009
Wader Shorebirds of Sandfly Creek Environmental Reserve – Book Launch at the Reserve – Friday, September 18th 9:00 a.m.
Mackay has one of the most significant high tide roost sites for shorebird wader birds in Central Queensland. There are nine wader species that visit our region each summer in internationally significant numbers and that makes the region important for protection of roost sites.
These birds feed during low tide in the Pioneer River mud flats and adjacent shoreline and rest in the Sandfly Creek Environmental Reserve on high ground called wader roost sites during high tide. This Reserve is on the south bank of the Pioneer River at the river mouth. The public is invited to attend the launch by Mackay Regional Councillor Karen May of an illustrated book on the history of this reserve and twenty-five of its shorebird species at 9:00am on Friday September 18th in the shelter at the north end of the Reserve. This book is the first in a series on the environmental values of Sandfly Creek Environmental Reserve and is written by Maureen Cooper, owner of Padaminka Nature Refuge. It gives facts, statistics and beautiful photographs of the migratory birds that fly to our region from as far as the Arctic Circle along the 12,000km long East-Asian Australasian Flyway, and a copy is a must for beginning birdwatchers. This flyway is especially important for the millions of migratory waders or shorebirds that breed in northern Asia and Alaska and spend the non-breeding season in South-East Asia and Australasia.
Publication of this work is possible because of a grant from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation, and free copies will be available at this book launch as long as the supply lasts. Contact Patricia Julien, Coordinator, Mackay Conservation Group Ph: (07) 4966 8025 e:pajulien@orion-online.com.au
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