September 16-30 & October 2022

 Canberra and Darwin.  Canberra cold, wet and windy, Darwin HOT with thunderstorms.

Silvereye @ #33

Reed Warblers think it is Spring - even if the weather doesn't.

Eastern Rosella

Musk Duck displaying - Wet Lagoon near Breadalbane

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We flew to Darwin to give Kass some help for 12 days (10-24 October).  Our flight up was cancelled as the plane we were to travel on had been damaged in a tropical lightning storm in Darwin.  We had to travel the following day via Sydney.

The first weekend we drove out to Fogg Dam  to see what was there.

A new species for me - Wandering Whistling Ducks

Always love watching the Jacanas as they trot over lilies with their huge feet

Mum & Dad Wandering Whistling Ducks with nearly grown brood

Green Pygmy Goose

Comb-crested Jacana showing its wing

Magpie Goose with Plumed Whistling Ducks

Dragonfly at rest

We stayed in a caravan on a farmlet on Bees Creek Road, only a short drive from where Kass lives at Palmerston.

The RAV4 hire car with caravan in the background.

Rooster - out-crowed by a bantam rooster ALL DAY, EVERY DAY

Radjah Shelduck - this pair hung out with the rest of the poultry when not up a tree.

Yellow Oriole - another new species for me

Spot the Bush Stone Curlew on her eggs

Mandurah Wharf with Darwin across the water

Shoreline at Mandurah

Paperbark Flycatcher

Comfortable Cat

Heatwave Warning

A pair of Crocodiles made their way into Marlow Lagoon.  Dog walkers watch your dogs.

Rufous-banded Honeyeater

Orange-collared Lorikeet

Camera-shy dragon

Magpie goose

Bees Creek house

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Back in Canberra - raining, windy, cold.  Where is SPRING???

All dams are overflowing - this one is along Parkwood Road

As was this Pipit

Royal Spoonbill feeding at West Belconnen Pond

A brilliant rainbow from our back deck - we were having tea at the time

Resident Noisy Friarbird

August & 1-15 September 2022

 August was a quiet (and wet) month, but on 30th August we left for the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.  Massive floods in the Northern Rivers area of NSW made overnight accommodation difficult to find, so I opted to travel the inland route up the Newell Highway to Goondiwindi. From Goondiwindi, we passed through Brisbane to Currimundi, where we had our accommodation for a fortnight just a short walk from Currimundi Creek.

Early August, I managed a short walk at the West Belconnen Pond - there was a very cold southerly wind blowing.

A pair of Australian Shovelers

Hardhead Ducks

Wet Day - not a lot to do

A week later I found the Tawny Frogmouth on its nest near Ginninderra Creek.  Unfortunately it was abandoned after about three weeks.

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Canola at Cowra - heading north to Queensland

Canola with the Warrumbungle Ranges on the skyline

Walking path along Currimundi Creek

Evening looking at the mouth of Currimundi Creek

Again - with a wattle overhanging the creek

The Paperbarks had many varied shapes

A Striated Heron

Two Kookaburras having a laugh

White-faced Heron stalking prey

A fleeting glimpse of an Azure Kingfisher

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Spangled Drongo

Another glimpse of the Azure Kingfisher.  They had a nest in the creek bank.

One day Des, her brother David and I drove up to Gundiah where they grew up.

Gundiah Hotel - a great lunch spot

Old Emery Bridge over the Mary River out of Gundiah

Morning reflections - Currimundi Creek

Currimundi Creek mouth with a Tanker waiting to enter Brisbane 

A dragon sunning itself on the way home