We are fortunate in Hervey Bay to have a few remnants of rainforest, or vine forest habitat in which are found the elusive Black-breasted Button-quail. There are about four areas of Dundowran and Craignish where the birds have been sighted, or platelets observed. Some of these are on private properties, not accessible to the general public.

One small remnant of Vine Forest that has been preserved as protected habitat and is open to public access is the Mungomery's Vine Forest Reserve at Dundowran Beach. An active group of volunteers, Friends of the Vine Forest, have helped clear this reserve of weeds and have constructed a pathway and boardwalk through from Cissus Court, (off Vine Forest Drive) to the beach. On either side of this pathway, there are many fresh platelets showing the constant activity of the birds.

There is also a pathway through to the beach bordering the other side of the reserve, at the end of Ebony Court but while the odd platelet was seen during our walk through there, the amount of activity in that area is minimal in comparison.

On 13th March 2007 just about 30 metres in from the beach, I observed a flurry of Black-breasted Button-quails, with juveniles, but without binoculars at the time it was difficult to estimate numbers. I thought perhaps 7-8, with the darker black colouring of the females standing out. There were at least two females and up to four juveniles amongst them. They were whirling and twirling and it was a hive of activity. The youngsters were hopping, turning and joining in – it was amazing! My first sighting of the birds after years of searching and it was indeed memorable but the numbers may not be accurate, without binocular assisted closer views.

17th March - I again spotted the “family” and managed to get a small movie of some of them, just enough to convince Dick that I was actually seeing them. Both these sightings were on hot afternoons, around 4.15pm, in the area behind the Grey Ebony tree, which is signposted.

18th March - Dick and I both went for an early morning walk through the reserve, around 6.35am, after parking our car in Cissus Court. We were only 20 metres into the reserve when I saw three BBBQs run from the cover of long fern-like leaves and they disappeared in a flurry – which is all Dick managed to see. This was on the opposite side of the path to where I had been observing the family group and at the other end of the reserve, away from the beach. We met another couple, Liz & Graham, members of Friends of the Vine Forest and they too had camera and binoculars in hand, also looking out for the BBBQs. Graham had seen them a few days earlier, estimating six birds, with two juveniles amongst them. By this time we had turned and were heading back towards our car. Dick spotted the three birds that I had earlier seen (I presume) run across the path in front of us and Graham proceeded to film them. Liz and I behind did not have such a clear view but Dick estimated a total of six adult birds, no juveniles at that time. Graham’s video showed four birds, all digging and a flurry of leaves but he was unable to identify the sexes, due to the distance and amount of leaves flying.

This is a vulnerable species, yet the pathway through this area is frequented by children on bikes, people with dogs, joggers and beach goers, all using the path as a right-of-way to the beach. Although the birds are secretive and shy, the platelets are close to and on both sides of this pathway. Houses back onto the reserve, several of them with house cats and a group from Gatton who conduct annual surveys have identified foxes in the area. Yet still the Black-breasted Button-quail survive and appear to be breeding!

Thank you to Bill Moorhead, Bundaberg, for permission to show his excellent photos of the Black-breasted Button Quail, taken at Inskip Point on 18th March 2007. It is not easy to photograph these active birds. An interesting observation that Bill made was that he saw them making the platelets both clockwise and anti-clockwise, while keeping an eye on him at the time.

Bill's comments on Inskip Point were: "This is easily the best place in the country to see these rare and beautiful button-quail. We saw them after about an hour of walking......they are very hard to photograph in the dense undergrowth...."

Never easy to view, the Black-breasted Button-quail are also to be found at Kingfisher Bay Resort, Fraser Island, as well as Inskip Point and despite searching both locations many times, without success, I finally succeeded in sighting them, only five minutes from home!!

N.B. Members of both the Hervey Bay Birdwatchers and Friends of the Vine Forest have experience the dreaded Scrub Itch while walking and working in this bush. Sticking to the paths will not normally bring you into contact with this but knowing mad keen birdos, if you intend going off the beaten track it is recommended that you insect spray well, particularly around the groin and waist areas. The little mites love those warm, moist parts of the body. I have never personally encountered this, even though I have been there at the same time as others who were not so fortunate.

21st March - around 6am, Dick and I saw three birds busily digging, in the area near where I originally saw them, close to the beach. At 8 am Graham and Liz were lucky enough to see six, around the same area as the four of us saw them previously, Graham's words, "over on the far eastern side of the forest - almost on the edge of the forest" and that area is nearer to the houses, not the beach. Two in each group appeared to be females. Are these the same BBBQs, or are they different ones? Watch this space and I will try to work this one out. I am also searching for the Juveniles, hoping to confirm them.

22nd March - 7.30am - A walk through the path and along the track is uneventful. The Friends of the Vine Forest have been through the day before and swept leaves away from the path, covering over many of the existing platelets - which is good, as it makes it easier to see fresh ones, however the leaves had softened footsteps and the small gravel on the path crunches underfoot, making it difficult to move quietly. I pondered the fact that some birdos will come expecting to find the birds here after my enthusiastic reporting of them. Many will leave disappointed!

The comments of Bill Moorhead on Inskip Point above made me realise that for a total birdwatching experience, Inskip Point has it all; prolific numbers of birds and species, apart from the BBBQ. Campers there see the Button-quail, even around the toilet blocks at times I believe. At the smaller Vine Forest Reserve there are fewer birds and species, though today we saw Scrub Wrens, Eastern Yellow Robin, Spectacled Monarch, Little Shrike Thrush, Red-backed Fairy Wrens and Lewins Honeyeater. However, in the Vine Forest we tend to be perhaps more single minded, concentrating on the undergrowth and listening for the rustle of the leaves. For a visitor to the area wanting a total bird experience, combining the Vine Forest Reserve with nearby Arkarra Lagoons could provide more variety.

I was about to leave but spotted visitors Geoff and Lynn, from Armidale, along with John Knight. We headed down the track off the pathway, as I showed them where I had previously seen my family group and half way along, on the right, I heard and saw four birds scratching. They scattered as we neared, I went around the back of them to try and contain them, while Lynn and Geoff stayed in front. At one stage Lynn had them almost at her feet. Geoff and I had good views of a female but getting a photo focused in the dim light, with the undergrowth was hopeless. We were able to see them for 5-10 minutes but when they vanish - they just disappear. I was relieved that John was able to confirm that the birds are there.

By this time it was after 9am, so I again headed for home but heard birds scratching, just as I reached the junction of the track and pathway. Once again there were four, perhaps the same group, though John seems to think not.

As we have seen them now at different times of the day, it appears that you do not need to be here early, or late - it is just being in the right place, at the right time.

These are two of the photos that Geoff managed to take in the Vine Forest Reserve :

23 March - Around 6.30am Dick and I walked through the reserve, without spotting BBBQs. There had been light rain overnight and the leaf litter was soft and damp. Old platelets were mainly covered, so fresh ones stood out.

Lynn and Geoff were up bright and early, already along the path and Geoff said that after I had left them the previous day, he sighted five birds, where I had seen the four and John Knight had spotted another single bird elsewhere. Four of Geoff's sighting were females and he took photographs but was unable to capture one of the male bird. An interesting observation he made was that while standing photographing them digging their circles, they suddenly all dropped to the ground and stayed very still, though he had made no noise. When they were on the ground in that position it was hard enough to see them, let alone photograph them.

I have decided that as others are now taking an interest I will stay away, as I do not want the birds to feel hunted, or unduly threatened by too many people wanting to closely observe them. From time to time however, I will wander through the path.

In the past week I have not sighted the juveniles that so excited me initially. It is my hope that they have simply shifted to a quieter part of the Reserve but having observed the disappearance of newly hatched ducklings, goslings and cygnets from Arkarra Lagoons, many within just a few days of hatching, I am a little afraid they may have become dinner for some predator. If so, this is nature but I still hate to see the young of any kind, looking so vitally healthy, disappear without trace.

From a personal view point, I found that taking my new camera with me and trying to focus on taking photographs, with great difficulty, meant that I missed out on the sheer thrill of observing the BBBQs more closely with binoculars. Also, I have come to the conclusion that we intrude more on their "space" while trying to get close enough for photographs, than when observing them from a little further away. So for now I will be taking only my binoculars when I walk through their home territory and will stay on the path, or track to watch them, rather than push through scrub in an endeavour to close in on them.

This is a small area overall and the species a vunerable one, so nothing threatening should be done to cause them to move away.

It has been pointed out to me that in order to minimise damage to this small area, the agreement between the Mungomery Family and Hervey Bay City Council, which gives custody of the Vineforest to the Council, stipulates that public access to the forest is only on the walking tracks provided, unless permission is obtained from Council. This has been the case with organised groups such as the Hervey Bay Birdwatchers. Good sightings can be obtained from the pathway, as I have observed.

7th April - Having family here at Easter, we went for a beach walk, with a stroll through the Vine Forest path, just in case........... On the way through we saw only the platelets but returning, my daughter's keen ears heard the tell-tale scratching in the leaves and there were four, or five, BBBQs busily at work. They were on the Eastern side, close to the beach, just inside the fenceline. We could have viewed them more easily had we been on the other side of the fence, rather than on the pathway, looking through the vegetation. It was a good sighting, we watched them for ten minutes or more and they were unaware of our presence, so kept scratching and moving, rather than scuttling away. As I had not been back for some weeks, it was reassuring to know that they are still there and undisturbed by our interest in them.

10th June 2007. As we are leaving the area to live in Burrum Heads, Dick and I went for a walk through the Vine Forest on one of the early chilly days of winter. John Knight had recently mentioned that the platelets were fewer and he had not spotted the birds. We too found that there were fewer platelets but definitely recent ones, as there had been rainfall in the area, with strong winds, so old platelets would have been washed away, or covered with leaf litter. There are birds still there but not the amount of vigorous activity of earlier in the year.

26th August 2009: I have visited the area only on odd occasions since moving to Burrum Heads, each time noting the obvious signs of fresh platelets but with few actual sightings. After a windy morning of birdwatching, which was unusually devoid of bird species, I suggested to my friend and neighbour Rae, a newcomer to birding, that we visit the Vine Forest. On arrival we pulled into the parking area at the same time as a visiting couple from Sydney. They had unfortunately received little assistance on local birding from the Information Centre but after a visit to Arkarra Lagoons, had thought that the nearby Vine Forest area could have the BBBQs. We wandered through the track together and were able to contribute a little local knowledge. There were fresh platelets everywhere!! This was more obvious, being a very windy day, with leaves falling, so the platelets could not have been more than a few hours old. Nigel spotted a pair of the birds, busy twirling, with leaves shooting around them. It was a thrill for us all. They were leaving that afternoon for Tin Can Bay, after whale watching, so hopefully they saw other BBBQs there as well. It is great to see these lovely birds still alive and flourishing in the area, despite the existence of residences so closely bordering the reserve.

Dawn Miles