Big Day Out - First of the Month in Aus

Saturday Oct 1

We crept out of the house at 5.50 - then had to start the car immediately under everyone else's bedrooms. Ours is the only one at the back. Martina took us through the very empty city roads, time to admire the view along Riverside Drive. We learnt to use a back roads short cut last visit but weren't sure enough to repeat it, it's complicated. Cloudy this morning, we actually had a few drops of rain en route but, blue and warm by our arrival at the long esplanade which separates some nice houses from the sea.

Toorbul is on the landward side of the Pumicestone Channel, which separates the mainland from Bribie Island. It's a noted high tide roost for waders. Unfortunately, it was a sea of mud, rather like Snettisham but not as extensive. Looking into a bright sun, we identified : Greenshank, Whimbrel, Eastern Curlew. Red-necked Stint, Black-winged Stilts, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a mixture of Egrets and Herons scattered on the mud. Two Rainbow Bee-eaters perched on the wires and a  Collared Kingfisher, muddy from washing in a dirty pool, called from a high wire.

Collared Kingfisher

Striated Pardalotes are very small, especially when perched high up. Grey Butcherbirds were a trip list addition as were three Buff-banded Rails skulking at the edge of the Mangroves.

Grey Butcherbird, shame about the background

We also see Kangaroos here, hopping around the gardens, some with Joeys still in the pouch. Our second Spangled Drongo showed briefly.

Spangled Drongo

We drove back to the beginning of the Esplanande to use the loos and noticed a group of birders arriving. They soon drove off in the direction from which we had come - we followed them. A group making one of their biannual visits to the area, their leader gave us a little seabirds ID book which the council has produced.

The tide was now rushing in and the waders gathering at the roost. A lone Oystercatcher and a Curlew Sandpiper were the only additions for us.

Although Bribie is just across the channel, the drive to the bridge entails a return journey as far as the Bruce Highway but taking an old connecting road. We found the new drive-in Beefys which Sara had told us about, very delicious pies. We ate ours at Buckley's Hole on Bribie, another known birding place. It's an inland pool where we can sit in the shadow of trees, looking over the reed and tree fringed edges, the sea beyond. Sandbanks hold a variety of Terns and the only Gull found this far north, Silver. We stayed for a couple of hours, catching an Australian and world tick, Australian Bittern clambering in a tree!

Eventually, we found the well hidden road to the Waterworks, rewarded by three pairs of Bee-eaters and half a dozen Magpie Geese on the football pitch. Damn great things.

Magpie Goose

Next stop Kakadu beach, another wader roost the opposite side from Toorbul but much smaller with a splendid open hide overlooking it. By now, the wind was tremendously strong, we had to hold on to the hide supports to keep our bins steady.Caspian Terns stood out amongst the Gull-billed and Crested, their carrot coloured beaks looked luminous.

Lesser Sand Plovers scurried along the edge and Red-capped Plovers did their dot and dash thing.

Lesser Sand Plover

All the waders are in non breeding plumage unfortunately.

We drove home in fast time, successfully negotiating the complicated short cut. Will we ever be able to do it the other way?

Sara was hoping to meet up with us sometime but ended up in Mooloolaba, we texted. A surprise for her, Mike was driving. And Harry was sick and Josh was in a bad mood. Sara threw a hissy fit on the beach and made everyone come home, they were here at 6.30, an hour or so after us. The extremely strong wind created a sand storm which two digging children and a dog didn't help. Mojo dug a very big hole after running into the sea after a pebble thrown by a stranger....just as well he was clipped. Oh Joy. Quite funny really. They didn't even buy themselves fish and chips, the usual supper after a day at the beach, the boys had chicken from Nandos and Mike's making sandwiches.

Quiet day to-morrow. I'm cooking dinner and we go to Bundaberg on Monday.