The consistent rain that has fallen in Outback Queensland over the past few years is proving an absolute boon for birdwatchers.
The many grey nomads who travel with a pair of binoculars and with their eyes permanently scanning for different species have been left thumbing through their identification books like never before.
David Capel, from Evesham Station west of Longreach, says the country is now lush and the greenest it has been for years.
“Everything enjoys a run of seasons – I know for this year for example, the number of birds is incredible – parrots and finches and things,” he told the ABC. “I haven’t seen them as thick as that for years and in fact it is almost impossible to drive anywhere without hitting them – they are like grasshoppers.”
Andy Pegler, from Yaraka south of Longreach, also told the national broadcaster that the country is looking amazing and water birds were flocking to his property.
“We are back from the river but we are getting a large number of water birds on the station dams – a lot of cranes, a lot of water hens,” he said. “The bird life improvement, particularly the water birds this summer, has been absolutely fantastic … I do think that we are seeing a general trend of increase in a lot of the birds.”
Some western areas of Queensland are reporting their third successful summer of healthy rain and flooding, although there are still a few districts that missed out.
