Rain Stopped Birding

Wednesday October 19

Icy cold feet kept me awake last night - but not for long. That's what comes of being at the top of a mountain. We did have a heater in the room too and it felt nice and warm.

As it was raining when we awoke, we stayed in bed with the curtains drawn., only to find a couple of Rosellas standing on the balcony with their beaks pressed to the glass doors. Honestly !

Better light for the view this morning though, the sun was shining in Canungra.

Breakfast at 7.30, we remembered it as being excellent. First course was. Several mueslis, to which I added, sultanas, apricots, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds and yoghurt. The hot course was poor this time. Very smoky bacon with the rind left on, greasy potatoes, sloppy scrambled egg with a brown crust on top and frankfurter sausages. There was also mushroom, baked beans and tomatoes. The queue for DIY toast was hampered by  old  Michael O'Reilly being in charge and wittering on about eating damper and drinking billy tea in the old days, 'nothing like this'. I only wanted some toast.....I accepted a small slice and moved off. The place is a bit of a rip-off these days. Despite the expensive breakfast, any coffee, other than DIY instant, costs A$4 a cup. We were scandalised.

We were in early and bagged a table in front of the glassed off feeding area, which is enclosed by wire mesh of a size which only allows medium and smaller sized birds through. A man arrived to fill the two feeders attached to living trees and, immediately, several Satin and Regent Bowerbirds arrived, many of them the females missing yesterday. I tried some shots.......

Female Regent Bowerbird

Going for my main course, I spotted Roy Sonnenburg (he's guided us on previous trips), sitting at a table with eight Americans, his birding group. He gave me a big cuddle and told us he'd already been to NT and Cairns, was moving on to Stanthorpe to-day and then flying to Sydney for the last leg of a three week trip.

He later called by our table to tell us about an Owlet-Nightjar hole on the Boundary Trail, except that he'd only seen it at mid-day.After finishing breakfast, we set off to find it, dressed in several layers of clothing, everyone else was wearing woollies and coats. We did manage to find the correct tree and hole and I tried a photo - which shows the well hidden roosting bird better than we could see it ! You need an imagination......

It was raining steadily by now so our walk was again curtailed. We returned to our room to pack the car, sign out and pay the rest of the bill before trying some birding again. I took some photos around the grounds, birds where they should be.

Crimson Rosella

Male King Parrot

Eastern Yellow Robin, they cling to the sides of trees in the shadow of the forest.

 We checked out the shop, Pam fetched the car and we decided to cut our losses and move on.

Lovely place marred by the weather, everyone was complaining.

We decided to explore the camping ground for the first time, Dot stayed there many years ago and said it was good for birds. It's hidden away on a hilly and well treed area scattered with concrete platforms. Puzzling - no way could you get a caravan or camper on most of them. Pam spotted a Pademelon run off into the bush and we then found a rather mangy looking specimen of Red- necked Pademelon, about twice the size of a Hare.

We made several stops on our way down, all fruitless apart from the one at the Rosemount Alpaca Stud, where we watched a caramel coloured baby suckling from its stoical looking white mother. They have a shop of course, the view is the best on the entire mountain. We fell for a Cockatoo wall tile, the simplest of those on display.

The lower we got, the better the weather. By Canungra, the roads were dry and the sun was out. We ate an ice-cream and motored on, stopping in several park/picnic places adding Brown Cuckoo Dove to the trip list. This is a largish, remarkably quiet and secretive, forest dove.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove

For the last four visits, I've wanted to photograph a Cattle Egret in breeding plumage when they are a wonderful caramel colour around the shoulders and head. I tried again to-day.... As soon as  the car stops, the nearby ones fly. One day.

I did manage a White-necked Heron though, much less frequently seen that the slim White-faced ones.

We ended up at the Moggill pond where a Straw-necked Ibis was wading warily amongst the cacophany of Swampies (Purple Swamphen).

Straw-necked Ibis

Home in tIme to unpack before Mike brought the boys home. We had a lovely welcome from Mojo and then both boys. Harry spent the whole late afternoon and evening with us, in the living room, which was nice.

Josh's team won another Futsal match last night, 7-2, and Josh scored the first goal.

At dinner, Mike told us that, in Australia,  the replacement of telegraph poles is the house owner's responsibility if they lie within your grounds - and theirs needs replacing. A$ 1900 if yours is the only one, A$ 1600 if next door has theirs done at the same time. Weird.

One day before we're off again.......