Early Birding and Late Celebration

Wednesday Oct 12

Not really early, 6.20. The skip still hasn't been collected so the cars had been arranged so that we could make an early start. We didn't really feel like it......

Golds Creek Road to start with, it's only 20 minutes away. Very quiet this morning. The Tawny Frogmouth was still on her nest. We walked into the reservoir area as far as the bottom of the grassy banked dam, crossing a well vegetated creek where Crakes and Little Bitterns are said to hang out.I saw a pair of Noisy Friarbirds and returned to the car. It's a lovely area.

The forlorn Colleges Crossing next where some birds are guaranteed. The dead tree - wghich we believe to be the remains of the giant fig over the cafe - was festooned with roosting Little Black Cormorants.

A Royal Spoonbill fished the far shore, flanked by an Australian Pelican and an Intermediate Egret. Pacific Black Ducks, from a distance, are really boring, a bit like female Mallard, compared with others.

At last, a diminutive Black-fronted Dotterel landed near enough to attempt a photo.They're about the same size as a Sanderling but far more colourful.

Black-fronted Dotterel

Stopping at Cole's for fresh rolls, we were home by 9.30. It was far too hot to garden, we read, caught up with mail and did odd chores. Pam did two lots of washing. Mike took Mojo for his daily walk and the dog was so hot, he sat in a creek.

\We left at 5.15 for Josh's 'Celebration of Learning' evening, in the form of a play. We were early enough for a parking spot, Sara had gone there straight from work, only to find that it wouldn't start until 6.30. We'd been told 6.00. Neither would they let us into the empty hall until 6.00.

Apparent chaos, I could never have been a Junior school teacher. All five classes in Year 5 were performing and they were haring about excitedly, dressed in Gold Country (Bendigo) attire. Josh was a Bushranger and had to wear jeans, a plaid shirt and a hat. My flash wasn't man enough for the distant job really.

Then every child had to go on stage and have their photo taken - by one woman - before they were seated on the floor in front of the stage and it all began. They were all very wrell behaved without being prompted, once the play began. Each scene was enacted by a different class, the changeovers were not seamless! It was a musical too, about gold miners, finding a nugget which was stolen and, the culprits brought to justice. The school is to be applauded for involving every child in the year group.

Sara left for her Book Club after Josh had performed. We called for pizza on the way home as it was so late, Josh, Harry, Pam and I ate garlic bread en route. 

We are going to the Lockyer Valley for the day to-morrow, a very early start. Pam says 5.30........