Well we have been back in Stanthorpe for a week now and back at work thinning apples for 4 days.
Thinning must be one of the most boring jobs on planet earth but we don’t mind it. We get into a really good routine where we work 6 days a week with Sundays off which is today..hooray 🤩🤩 We also manage to have a little power nap under the apple trees after lunch which is always rewarding, so peaceful just listening to the birds and the wind through the trees.
We will be doing this now till the end of January, then we will be picking the apples which is much more fun but longer hours.
Mount Marley in the background
Eurasian Coot
We realised today that after shopping, cleaning etc we had a few hours spare to go and visit Quart Pot creek in town. It’s only down the road from the van park we are in so nice and very close.
We have been there many times before but the light down there this afternoon was just spectacular for photos. We were quite surprised to see some green grass and the creek itself looked ok considering they are in a severe drought here. They did get a downpour a few weeks ago so that was great news.
Sadly there has also been a few bushfires close to the town and on our way to work which is just horrible to see this beautiful place so scorched. We have been coming back now for 5 years so even though we have a house on wheels, this is like coming home for us. We love the town and surrounds and the people are very friendly here.
Wood Ducks
Male
Female
A nice vantage point for a good POV (position of view)
More Pacific Black Ducks
Hardheads (male on top)
Purple Swamphen
Reed Warbler
Male Darter
Press Play to view Steph’s Snippets
We will try our best to visit the creek on our Sundays off as it’s teeming with birdlife at the moment, it’s probably one of the few places around with a good water supply so we are just praying for some rain. Please enjoy the pics and I took a small video of the creek.
These Black-faced Monarchs seemed Plentiful here today.Here’s another pic of this stunning Bowerbird
Well…Surprise..Surprise, still no polish on the van. The Showgrounds here at Toowoomba are very open and it’s blowing a gale. This morning we woke to the dreaded Drizzle plus it’s so much cooler here than on the coast. We were deciding what we were going to do for the day and Voila……the sun started peeking out just a little bit 🤩🤩
So we had to make an executive decision,,, off to Redwood Park we went.
It’s about a 20 minute drive back down the range so we didn’t want to waste our time if it was going to be raining.
Spangled Drongo also in the Erythrina Blossom.
Just one more ….. he’s checking us out
We have never seen the park so dry, and were very worried about the wildlife there, as the little creek that we thought was maybe spring fed had also dried up, and has been for quite some time.
We didn’t hear much birdlife either, but as we came past the picnic area we saw a couple of flowering trees….and lots of bird activity around them.
Thank god the little birdies have got something to eat.
The first bird Anthony spotted was the Regent Bowerbird, we just couldn’t believe our luck, and feeding on the nectar of this beautiful flowering type of Coral Tree. Lucky Lucky us 😃😃
This little Double-barred finch was happy to pose for us on the track
Oops … I lied 🙂 This time adopting the standard bird pose for the camera.
We got some great photos and video…..to see the colours on this bird is incredible, it must be one of the most stunning birds in Australia.
There were other birds too, the Lewins Honeyeater was very plentiful and a Spangled Drongo came in to feed on the nectar as well.
You learn something new every day…. and today we learned that bowerbirds and drongo’s feed on nectar. Amazing hey!!
You don’t walk far through this Park without seeing a Yellow Robin.
Ready to jump in
We met some nice local ladies walking their dogs so we got chatting.
They told us there was a small trickle of water still coming out of the mountain further up, so off we went.
We weren’t expecting it to be so steep, it took around 30 minutes of climbing and we found a great spot for the wildlife to get some water and a few little pools for the birds to bathe so that made us really happy.
We saw quite a few of the usual birds around here (Double-barred Finches, Honeyeaters, Monarchs etc.) but they were very nervous, we tried to sit quietly for a while but they didn’t like us there.
We couldn’t get any photos or video and didn’t want to disturb them too much plus it was getting on a bit and cuppochino o’clock was calling. We saw a few lizards too so we are so glad we ventured out today.
White-naped Honeyeater
Varied Sittella
White-throated Treecreeper
A nice Honeyeater Pose (not bad for a Bowerbird)
Press Play to view Stephanie’s Snippets from today
Hopefully tomorrow the wind eases off so we can do the polishing, otherwise we will miss the boat as we are really running out of time.
Stanthorpe is on severe water restrictions so we won’t be able to wash the Van or Truck there for quite sometime, plus we will be busy working and then nothing gets done.
Please enjoy the amazing photos Anthony got today and of course my little video snippets.
Featured Image : Blue-face Honeyeater in Jacaranda.
One of the many beautiful settings at the Gardens
Greetings from Pomona!
We have been sitting at the Pomona Showgrounds for almost a week now which is becoming probably our favourite place to hang out when visiting family down this way.
It’s just north of the Sunshine Coast, a bit of a drive when going visiting but it’s a great little town well away from the madness of the coast.
Catching up with everyone has been great and kept us quite busy, so we haven’t had much time to get out and about into nature.
This Graphic Flutterer (above and below) put on quite a show
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Today was our last chance so we visited the Noosa Botanical Gardens which is only about 10 minutes drive from here. We visited here back in June when we were heading north but there wasn’t that much birdlife around.
Press Play to view Stephanie’s Video Snippets of the Gardens and wildlife
Little Wattlebird’s also loved Jacaranda
Adult Eastern Whipbird
Juvenile Whipbird
Whipbirds
Well today it was just teeming with birds 😁😁 We did a morning shift and then after a break and a snooze we went back this afternoon, just fantastic. We saw a few new birds and the big carpet python laying on the banks of a small pond was an added bonus. It looks like he must have eaten a large bird or maybe a bat as you could see something sticking out on his side….maybe the legs of something….
This Blue-faced Honeyeater was very photogenic with the Jacaranda Backdrop
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Juvenile and Immature BF Honeyeaters (Below)
Australian Emerald in motion.
So we have had a great time in this area and would love to stay a bit longer but work is calling so we have to keep moving on closer to Stanthorpe.
Female Eastern Koel
Eastern Koel poking her head out
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Barred Cuckoo-Shrike
White Breasted Woodswallow
Tomorrow we will head up the range to Toowoomba Showgrounds for the weekend and catch up with the last of our maintenance jobs. We are praying that the weather is nice to us as we really need to get a coat of polish on the van. A huge job that we have been putting off for a while. We are also hoping to visit Redwood Park again, our favourite birding place while in Toowoomba. So please enjoy the pics and video.
Well as you will see by the pics and video, the Wanderingeagles have plonked themselves in absolute bird heaven 😁😁
We are so glad on deciding to drive a little bit further south to Childers.
We have picked avocados in this area quite some years ago and always liked the surrounds here.
We stayed at a different caravan park then but we had heard of this amazing park/ retreat, with a big lake at its doorstep so we we’re pretty keen to have a look.
Seeing a Glossy Ibis in the wild for the first time was certainly a highlight for us.So we got a few pics
The owners have created this beautiful oasis in amongst the surrounding sugar cane and other farms so it seems that any bird in this area would surely want to visit here.
Whiskered Terns were continuously patrolling the LakeWhiskered Terns
Looking over the Lake towards the Retreat
They allowed us to park our rig on the marquee site…..usually reserved for weddings etc, which is the prime spot only about 10 metres from the lakes edge.
So while we are enjoying our morning and afternoon cuppochinos we have this amazing birdlife show going on outside our dinette window.
It’s been great waking up to their sounds and we love the frogs chirping away as we go to sleep at night.
A Galah taking time out
Golden_headed Cisticola
A pair of Crested Pigeons seemingly enjoying the view
Tree & Fairy Martins were devouring the early morning bugs.
A pair of Cotton Pygmy Geese
Misty Morning
This is definitely a place we are coming back to, and will be staying for longer.
We have never found a bird paradise like this where it’s all at our doorstep, fantastic.
The Owners, Gazza and Shazza made us feel so welcome, they have quite a menagerie going on here.
Miniature Horses, lots of different types of bird breeding, deer and more.
There is so much to look at.
Where there’s fresh water you’ll find Purple Swamphens
The Sacred Kingfisher always on lookout
Gazza loves his Mistletoebirds 🙂
Press Play to view Steph’s Snippets of this Birder’s Paradise
Little Black Cormorant’s galore
A tranquil setting
A Plumed Egret soaking up the morning sun.
Red-backed Fairywren
Plumed Egret
Great Egret
Australasian Grebe
The Majestic Black Swan
More Residents of the Lake
Comb-crested Jacana
Gazza’s Historic Settlers Hut
Cattle Egret with Breeding Plumage
Female Leaden’s Flycatcher
Pelican’s frequented here also
White-faced Stilt
Graphic Flutterer Dragonfly
A long range shot of a Bustard pair which flew over and landed in the fresh Sugar Cane
We did manage to pull ourselves away to visit one of our favourite beaches.
Woodgate Beach is around half an hours drive from here. We didn’t see many birds but it was low tide at the estuary and all the little soldier crabs were out and about en masse…..it was incredible to watch.
We have never seen this before, I took a small video of them. They kept us amused for quite some time.
A quick departure from the Lake to visit Woodgate Beach where we witnessed thousands of Soldier Crabs marching along the beach
Press Play to view Steph’s ‘Soldier Crab’ Snippets
We leave tomorrow and head down to the Sunshine Coast which will be very very busy, a big change from the beautiful serenity here.
Please enjoy Anthony’s amazing photos, and check out my videos,
Bye for now Steph and Anthony.
Catch and Release Fishing is also popular here. Gazza got a nice Barra this morning.
