Summary: Large park with water areas and some good birds
Date of visit: 28 Sep, 2020
After having a pretty good time at Schuster Park on the Gold Coast, one wonders whether the big green area to its south, called Eddie Kornhauser Recreational Reserve, could afford an equally good birding experience. Well, it’s kind of similar but also different!
The Reserve has a lot of waterways threading through it, and has a large “island” in the middle that is a dog exercise area (officially called – wait for it – “Tallebudgera Off Leash Agility Dog Island”). Anyway… I parked on Casuarina Drive near the playground area and headed into the reserve via the main path that bisects it.
Little Corella and Spotted Dove were the first birds seen, then a host of Figbirds. It was rather nice in the morning sun in the open areas (and a little chilly in the shade).
Little Corella 
Figbirds 
Spotted Dove
I followed the (unpaved) pathway anti-clockwise around the north-west of the Reserve where there were denser trees, and was rewarded with some Silvereyes and more Spotted Doves as well as Brown Honeyeaters and a Little Friarbird.
Silvereye 
Brown Honeyeater 
Striated Pardalote
Despite the lack of official trails marked on various maps, you can certainly walk all around the reserve, as there is a lot of open ground. I explored the western side for a long while, spotting some Striated Pardalote and an Olive-Backed Oriole, while a squadron of Plumed Whistling Ducks flew across above.
Plumed Whistling Ducks 
Figbird 
Willie Wagtail
I then chilled out for a while at the very southern end of the park and saw Magpies, Red-Backed Fairywren, Willie Wagtail, female Scarlet Honeyeater, and more Figbirds. Five Blue-Faced Honeyeaters sailed by close above too.
Red-Backed Fairywren 
Blue-Faced Honeyeaters 
Magpie-Lark
On the way back to the car I met some very vocal Little Wattlebirds, and enjoyed their squawking. There was a wonderfully sunlit Magpie-Lark on a branch, while Noisy Friarbirds and Superb Fairywren were also present.
Little Wattlebird 
Superb Fairywren 
Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo
A quick final look at the water areas saw Dusky Moorhen and Royal Spoonbill.
It must be pretty cool living close to this park. I saw a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo on a house fence and a Spotted Dove on a roof aerial. In general, this reserve has a slightly rougher feel than Schuster Park, but due to being quite close by, I imagine the species overlap is large. You could certainly do both parks in one morning, if you were so inclined. It’s not a bad park, with more untamed water and bush areas for the interested birder than you might expect in suburbia.
eBird
Checklist for this visit (37 species)
Hotspot: Eddie Kornhauser Reserve (124 species)
Nearby: Schuster Park (164 species)
Pluses and minuses:
+ Lots of water areas
+ Decent birds
+/- Rough-ish feel
– Large dog sections
– Unpaved/unmarked paths
Bird Spots 