For a Few Dollars More

Thursday October 20

Well, Pam had a busy day. She spent the morning finishing the front centre bed, clearing the roots out and planting. The mulch is still to be purchased. Looks like it will be Lucerne mulch rather than sugar cane as it contains some nutrients. I answered Emails and carried the odd bucket of water for watering and glass of iced water to drink. Mojo usually drinks from the bucket and he had a long draft when he came back from his walk with Mike.

Mojo was active throughout, he loves to participate. He whined piteously when Pam shut him in, not wanting to risk him in the unfenced front.  When I let him out the back, he ran off over the bridge and up the back garden with one of her boots.No harm done, he abandoned it unchewed. We all reckoned he couldn't stand the smell.

After lunch, Shepherds Pie sandwich (!!), Pam and I went shopping in Bellbowrie via the Moggill Ferry pond and the Brisbane river bend.

I missed photos of the two Channel-billed Cuckoos that flew through, hassled by a raucous Masked Lapwing but, at last, managed to get some colour on a Dollarbird. All the ones we've seen are perched on wires and not well lit. I manouvered myself so that  this one was silhouetted against some trees.

Dollarbird, they have dollar sized pale blue circles in their wings when they fly. A member of the Roller family and different from the African Dollarbird.

Our last postcard posting, a quick look at our river bend - high tide - usually useless but to-day we could see two Royal Spoonbills, a Pied Cormorant and an Australian Pelican.

Coles for meat, Josh's favourite Lamb Cutlets and a few extras to take with us to-morrow before home to greet the boys.

Sara was late to-night, making up for to-morrow 'off'. It means that she does the same amount of work spread over fewer days.

Pam and I are setting off early in the morning so that we can bird along the way.

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.......

To O'Reilly's

Tuesday October 18

A disturbed night after a very eventful evening. After retiring, Josh arrived downstairs complaining of an itchy head. Nits and the odd head louse were found! Sara set to with the comb and conditioner....we left her to it and went to pack and go to bed. Harry was also infected, Sara came in to give us the once over. Clean apparently.

Then, my phone rang, no number, no response. By now it was midnight.

Don’t know why Mike was up early, both boys were being kept at home. Anyway, when we left at 7.20, he was talking to the council men who were replacing poles and wires outside the house and cutting off branches to tidy up. Maybe he sweet-talked them into trimming a few more !Martina took us a different way from any we’ve used before, we usually get lost but this one was different again. Bottom line is that we got to Canungra - the kick-off for the climb to O’Reilly’s - at 9.20 after a very slow first half of the journey in horrendous traffic. Brisbane rush hour.
After a breakfast of bacon, eggs , toast and coffee in a greasy spoon, we set off for O’Reilly’s. It’s 36K of increasingly steep, tortuous and often single - carriageway, road with blind bends. Not for the vertigo sufferers but, thick forest helps conceal most of it.
The obligatory call in at the Kamerun Look-out. Stupendous all round views , to-day's was marred by mist and smoke from distant fires. No birds either. There were on the road taking us back to the ‘main’ one. Eastern Yellow Robin, Brown Gerygone, Lewins Honeyeater and Superb Fairy-Wren. A later stop in a lay-by situated in a more open area, produced a male Golden Whistler, more Brown Gerygones and a Golden Bowerbird for Pam.
The first part of the O’Reilly complex suddenly appears as you round a bend.

The day visitors car park with the cafe behind.

Waw. Bower not yet started , yet, the male Satin Bowerbird was prospecting the area at the side of the road near the car park. I took these photos with my small camera from the car.

Luckily, the sun was shining. He looks black when it isn't.

His bower is usually strewn with blue items, glass, plastic, straws, anything blue, to match his plumage.

We were too early to sign in, so we parked at the far end of the car park and saw: a Wonga Pigeon saunter across. several Brush Turkeys, White-browed Scrubwrens and Grey Shrike-thrushes.
A sandwich lunch in the rather cool outside seating area at the cafe, overlooking the misty valley below, accompanied by black and white waiters...Pied Currawongs.....

...and several more colourful ones.

Crimson Rosella

They become a nuisance but we resisted feeding them.
The Reception area was blocked off by a group of excited Asians with a local guide. He was feeding the birds, placing grain on people’s shoulder so that Regent Bowerbirds, Satin Bowerbirds, King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas perched on their yelping heads and arms. I photographed only those I could see in the near trees. As soon as the group moved on, the birds disappeared.

Male Regent Bowerbird - O'Reilly's logo

Room number 18, Mountain View, is lovely. Above our own parking area this time with a better view down the valley than our last ground floor room.


Very spacious, a king size and a large single bed, big shower room and a balcony (4’ x 8’) with a bench. We sat outside , woollies on, enjoying the view, joined by Lewins Honeyeater and Crimson Rosellas. The latter were very cheeky, landing within a few inches of my hands, often moving my hair with their wings. We had to shut the room door and constantly move them on.

King Parrot pair

Crimson Rosella

After a hot drink and a piece of fruit cake, ‘free’ afternoon tea in the restaurant, we walked one of the trails. Well, we started to and the rain came down. We sheltered for a bit before giving up, exploring the information rooms and retiring to our balcony with a glass of red and some savoury biscuits.

Down came the birds. Oh how we’d love to feed them........A man in nearby rooms had several Bowerbirds on his balcony. We had them on our roof, peering down at us, it was the Rosellas who proved to be the most persistent and intrusive, such beautiful birds.

I saw three Channel-billed Cuckoos - huge grey birds - and two White-headed Pigeons, fly across the canopy below. The pigeons are real sub-tropical forest birds.

Before leaving for the warmth of our room as the light faded, a pair of Superb Fairy-Wrens skittered about on the path below. Trying to photograph these very active and tiny sprites is like trying to catch dandelion seeds, especially in the near dark - excuses for poor photography.

Male Superb Fairy-Wren

Supper in our room on Sara’s burgers, salad and a cup cake, the restaurant here is very pricy and the food isn’t good. Breakfast is and we’re booked in for that in the morning.

Two BooBooks called for five minutes, now total silence.

An early night beckons.

Shepherd's Pie and Baza

Monday Oct 17

What a lazy start to the day. I abluted before eight and went back to bed to read Sky Sports News, download some tunes and complete Saturday's Telegraph quickie crossword on my IPad. Very enjoyable. I was up before 9.30......

Pam was already gardening before the heat of the day. We'd discussed that this should happen before shopping for to-night's requested Shepherd's Pie. In the event, it wasn't a hot day, overcast wth a breeze and, no sun at all. She planted  three Bougainvillea around the water tank and started digging over the cleared bed around the statue (I call it Our Lady of Vanwall). The Kangaroo's Paw plants, a prostrate Grevillea and another couple of plants are due to be planted there - but not to-day.

Mike and Josh went to Ikea to buy some bedroom curtains, Harry met friends in the city - it's a Pupil Free Day for both of them. Mike says it means that the teachers p..s off down the pub and the kids stay at home. Typical non teacher reaction !!

Late morning, before shopping, Pam and I drove towards Moggill Ferry to see what's around. A pair of Figbirds perched in a tree where we turned round - missed the lane.

Male Figbird, one of the commoner birds, I love them. The female has a stripy front and no red eye patch.

A light drizzle marred photo ops at the pond so we drove back and, suddenly stopped in the middle of the road - quite safe, it's a good road but cars come in groups according to whether or not the ferry has landed. A Pacific Baza perched on an overhead wire. I took a couple of shots through the dirty and distorted windscreen which turned out amazingly well.

Home to cook, compute (games) and entertain the dog. He frets when they're all out, often chewing anything he can find, Mike's quote from the tree man to-day. We rescued it and he then lay on my feet whenever I sat down.

The curtain trip was successful and a delighted Mojo was taken for a long walk. Harry called for a lift from Bellbowrie, Pam went, Mike was seeing tree man number two who re-named the Ironbark/Stringywood as Tunnelwood. Confusing. Apparently we have a Chinese Elm which the Council classes as a weed (non-indigenous). If they see it, you have to have it removed. At these prices, they'd better not find out. Over A$ 2,000 quoted to-day but that included GST, stump removal and mulching the wood.I don't think it will happen.

We're looking forward to O'Reilly's to-morrow, hoping that it doesn't rain too much at the top of the mountain. We're all booked to go to a cottage near Noosa for Friday and Saturday night. Lots of birds in the area for Pam and I and the attractions of Noosa to keep the boys happy.

 http://www.stayz.com.au/24484?checkin=21/10/2011&numNights=2&numGuests=6

Sunday with the Apostles

Sunday Oct 16

Not an early start, except for Mike, the tree man arrived 30 minutes before he was due. He was there to give a quote for cutting down the enormous Stringy Bark tree in the back garden (previously. erroneously named as an Ironbark). There's also a big tree with branches overhanging the car port . The quote was A$1500. Waw, that's about a £1000. Another one is coming to-morrow, we hope his quote is less.

Pam and I planned a visit to the Ipswich branch of Bunnings (Aus B and Q) this morning. Sara decided to come with us and then Mike asked why he wasn't invited ! All four adults went in Mike's car, first time on the Moggill Ferry for us. Must go and photo it.

Bunnings was full of what Sara calls Bogans - chav hicks. We got the compost required, Sara chose some cacti and Mike picture hanging gear and we returned, refreshed by the free ice cones provided as we left. Small cups of chipped ice squirted with a flavour of your choice. It was certainly a hot one to-day, in the 30s.

Mike dug a soakaway to take the water collecting outside the laundry room in a storm, Harry and Josh swam, Pam and I vegetated. At 4.30, as it cooled to a comfortable temperature, Pam and I drove the Moggill Ferry road. I saw a Channel-billed Cuckoo there this morning and we saw an interesting looking pond.

The highlight was a family group of Apostlebirds, fossicking for seeds and insects at the side of the road.They're highly sociable birds, gathering in flocks of up to 50 after the breeding season. One youngster kept being left behind and squawking loudly.

The juveniles have brown eyes!

The pond held the usual large number of Purple Swamphens, a few Dusky Moorhens and six Pied/White-headed Stilts.

A little woman in camouflage gear approached us from another car, clutching a tripod and camera. Very quietly spoken and unassuming. A photographer of birds rather than a birder.She told us of another pond near Lowood off the Warrego Highway where she likes to go.

We are now watching New Zealand beat Aus in the other semi. They'll annhilate France in the final....

Phew, the Rufous-tailed Robin at Warham wasn't there this morning. That's two lifers we've missed but maybe wouldn't have got anyway. Maybe the Crane will stay in Suffolk until our return.

Weekend Domestics

Saturday October 15

After not much sleep, an equally weary Josh joined me on the bed and talked entertainingly for at least half an hour. Mostly about films he had seen.

There was another fantastic deluge post dawn along with a few claps of thunder and lightning flashes. It soon dries up but leaves us with a humid day when the sun appears. Not the best of weather for gardening.

Sar and Mike went off to collect a table and chairs for the lounge balcony - an EBay purchase - and Pam started on the front statue bed. She cut down the Joy Weed (!!) which Sara hates and then Sara cleared it out completely. It's a tallish, straggly, purple-leaved ground cover plant with small creamy pompoms.

Pam found two different frogs in the bed, here they are.Will we ever be able to identify both.

Striped Rocketfrog

On his return,  Mike set to and mowed all the grass, quite a job, front, back and one side. He then raked it and strimmed the edges, by which time it looked great. During this time,Sara left for a massage, taking Josh to Ryan's en route.

Late afternoon. Pam wanted to buy some more compost so we went to a new nursery which was up market and expensive. We didn't buy anything!

After the very disappointing France Wales semi........we lost, didn't stand a chance after Sam Warburton was harshly red carded early in the first half, we had supper. Last night's leftovers, just as good. Sara had served us dips, carrots, celery etc at half time.

Celebtation and Chinese

Friday October 14 written on the morning of the 15th

Battle of Hastings, Pam's 74th and Cliff Richard's 71st birthday.

The day began with the enire family and the dog crammed into our bedroom. Only Josh and the dog actually on the bed. Pam loved her presents, she's very good at showing pleasure. Sara had got her some beautiful netsukes from Japan. Part of mine was a night - next Tuesday - at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat. Bit of a cheat really, as it's a present for me too !

After the family had left for work/school/gym, (Mike had a trial offer in the new place at Bellbowrie shopping centre) we went to Samsonvale, Pam's choice for the day. Not too far and we love the place. What a scenic dead end.........

The entrance road



Woods, Lake Samsonvale and Ashes Wall ( container slots on the other side)



We sat in the shade for almost two hours, enjoying the view, passing birds and happenings.A Ute turned up, drove away to the far end of the area and the two occupants proceeded to lift out and unwrap - very gingerly - a heavily taped cardboard box. They were obviously releasing a snake into the bush.

We did take one short walk, only for Pam to have to rush back.   A Brush Turkey was rifling through our snack bag and had already tossed out a packet of crisps. No harm done.

I managed to photograph a diminutive Striated Pardalote (black-headed Eastern form) waiting to take a green caterpillar to the nest.

The Noisy Friarbird has completed its nest and is sitting.......

Its tail shows.....

The very common Whistling Kite called plaintively as it circled, never allowing me a shot of its distinctive wing markings against the light.

Sara had recommended a cafe called the Flying Nun, somewhere in Samford. We eventually found it. It was packed, with a longish queue waiting to be served. I said 'Crikey', Pam said 'Let's go' - and a couple of people laughed as we turned heel.

We eventually had a very pleasant sandwich and iced coffee in the Berry cafe, sitting outside under an umbrella.

After calling in at Cole for an Echidna chocolate birthday cake and Liquorland for some fizz, we returned to await the arrival of the boys and Sara.

To Pam's delighted surprise, Bridget and Aileen phoned to wish her Happy Birthday. Very good of them to bother. Josh answered the phone and, assuming that they were about to sing, put it on Speaker. They don't do singing........

Soon after 6, we left for a Chinese restaurant, Sun Fay , in Indooroopilly where Sara had booked a table for us. Again, Pam's choice, she loves chinese food. It was a Friday and the place was packed, all but us and one other party being Chinese, a good omen.

The service was slow but the food was superb, the best we'd ever eaten. We hadn't made allowance for the enormous portions, six plastic boxes were produced for bringing the leftovers home, to-night's meal. Two bottles of wine certainly helped the wait for food. A delicious Pinot Grigio.

Home for a very nice slice of cake and a bottle of fizz. Unfortunately, my little camera took some good photos which disappeared when I transferred them to my laptop! Could it have anything to do with the wine consumed?

An Email from Anne Newman (Pam's cousin in Melbourne) this morning, corrected my tree ID from the 13th, thank goodness. Everything is Gum to us if we don't know. We must study our new tree book. I also added a photo to the Oct 13 Blog.