A Very Memorable New Year's Eve

It's now 11.30 p.m - we weren't in until 11.00 - to-day's Blog will have to wait until to-morrow and the photos are sorted.
Happy New Year
It is now to-morrow.......after a morning's birding and three hours sleep. The New Year's Eve outing started late, we didn't leave until past 10.30 for the Bruce Highway and Mooloolaba.The latter is the family's favoured beach destination after most of Bribie's sand, on the western side, was washed away in a storm. Good to see where they go.
Lunch was a most delicious steak and onion pie bought at a roadside shopping area off the motorway. Advertised as winners of 'Queensland's most delicious pies 2008'. They really were, as good as any I make. We waited until we arrived at the beach before eating ours, still piping hot. Parking was at a premium. We were motioned into a single roadside spot, parked and then had a phone call from Sara to say, come now, I'm keping you a spot next to us. She was looking stressed when we got there, having had a bad time keeping others out - abuse from one and a 2 inches off her foot braking by another.We were only 3 minutes too..... It WAS and excellent spot, right next to the stairs down to the extensive bay. Mike and Sara set up the chairs and a sunshade and we settled in, in a very comfortable temperature as there was a constant breeze. We three women sat and chatted, Mike and Josh found a clear spot to play footie

and Harry read.



All save for Pam, Josh and I then went for a swim. The sea hardly went out all afternoon and the sand was lovely. Nearby lifeguards boards gave advice re sea conditions 'strong flashrips and large, dumping waves'. Swimming was only allowed between the flags.Sara returned, dripping, to dry her ears having been 'dumped' - the incoming roller/wave picks you up and turns you onto your head. That's why J wasn't swimming, he's so light. When Sara next returned, Pam and I played frisbee with Josh and, when Sara had dried off we walked to the shops along the esplanade boardwalk. J came with us as he wanted a new ball, Harry was reading - oblivious - Mike asleep.

It was hot and sticky away from the breeze. A Brush Turkey was busy building its mound right under the walkway,



it's one of Aus's two megapodes. The eggs are laid in a mound which is temperature controlled by the male removing or adding material.
Dificult to describe the rows of shops, like a classy Great Yarmouth, no twt shops at all - so we couldn't find Josh a ball !! We sat and had an icecream and a drink before enjoying a shop full of imports from India. We left with two bags....
We had to walk back along the beach as the police had closed off the boardwalk in preparation for to-night's fireworks. Much better than the walkway, hard sand at the sea's edge, interesting things to see and a lovely balmy breeze.

Harry and Josh then dug holes and sat in them......

Mike went off to get fish and chips for supper which we ate off our laps with a glass of bubbly which Mike produced from a coldall.


Brilliant. Even better, he then produced superb mangoes for dessert.


There were nearly three hours to go before the firework display; there was a hiatus during which various options were mooted but no decisions were made. The family went for a walk along the emptying beach in the golden evening light.

We demurred, the walk to the shops was enough, we just enjoyed the scene as Pelicans, Silver Gulls, Herons and Egrets and a Sea Eagle flew to roost.
It was decided that we should wait for the fireworks, due to begin at 8.30. The beach was thinly scattered with small family groups, many of the younger ones wearing glow necklaces and wristbands, it looked lovely. Sara produced sparklers for us. The family got cold and wrapped themselves in towels......it was still 25C. The sea temperature is 24C
Promptly at 8.30, the fireworks started. I spent the 20 minutes really loving it all and taking photographs, I've never done so before.



As Sara said, a very good - free - display. An extremely contented six people trooped off the beach. It took us 45 minutes to clear the town but the ride home was on a very empty motorway. We arrived home at 11.00, the boys showered and went to bed and we four toasted in the New Year with frozen Margaritas.
Thank you Sara and Mike bfor putting so much care and thought into the day, a thoroughly enjoyable and very memorable New Year's Eve.

Another Sick Boy

We duly set off for Mooloolaba, rather late, it was mid morning by the time Mike was ready. Harry didn't look well, he's had a stuffed nose for three weeks but, it was decided to carry on. Neither Pam nor I thought it was wise but Sara's had rotten weather for her holiday and really wanted a family day out. A few miles up the road, Mike pulled off onto a side road and Harry was sick - he was carrying a bowl! They went back to make a doctor's appointment and we carried on to Pam's favourite Mount Glorious and then Samsonvale.
What a difference a few hours make. Very few birds and so many more people and cars. We did pick up a Wonga Pigeon for the trip list. This very attractive pigeon ambles about on the ground - if you're lucky. It became a joke the first year we were here as Roy (the guide) kept telling us about them and we never did see one.






Down the mountain became drier and drier and the sun peered out occasionally. A very frustrating mixed flock of Honeyeaters feeding on a flowering tree on Golds Scrub Lane, the road to the cemetery, we never did identify them. As we were leaving, I phoned to find out how Harry was, getting Josh which was not altogether helpful. An excited Pam spotted one of the Shining-bronze Cuckoos roadside. It stayed long enough, pulling at least six maggots out of a nearby tree bark, for us to look it up. A Horsfield's Shining-bronze. Not new but excellent. We then stopped to watch a displaying Tawny Grassbird when a Little Eagle soared into view. That puts us over 200 for the trip. We're pleased with that as we've done very little birding - apart from Tassie.
In need of a loo, we stopped at a garden centre which advertised a cafe. Having only had crisps for lunch, we ordered raisin toast and a drink. 45 minutes later.......We were hopping mad, not busy but the two staff were so slow, especially the boy. Definitely not a place to stop again.


As promised some photographs of Pam playing Wii bowling with Josh. She played for a couple of hours to-night. I can't get her off it so that I can play.....she also plays table tennis, frisbee and archery. Josh is rarely seen without his Messi shorts, except when Mike has sneaked them off for a wash.

An exultant Pam and a praising Josh (she's just scored a 'turkey' - 3 strikes in a row)

Yet More Rain

We'd planned a visit to Tamborine to-day but...... Sara omitted to tell Mike who'd booked to go to the cinema to see Sherlock Holmes. It's 'cheap Tuesday' at the Indoorpilly centre. I stayed in the bedroom with my computer and both fans going until mid morning, after being awake for a big chunk of the night. I got up to find Pam playing on the Wii with Josh and a watching Harry. I took photos but somehow managed to delete them - first time ever I've made THAT mistake.
The family left for the cinema at 12.30 whilst we wondered where to go for the afternoon. Dirt roads were out because of all the rain, as were most places really. Still very hot but humid, rather unpleasant outdoors.Pam decided on Colleges Crossing for lunch, just 20k away and somewhere we would meet Mags, Ann and John - if it were possible!
Just two other people there to-day so we could choose a dry table away from the leaks, just under the awning, overlooking the river.

We had a very nice lunch watching large fish jumping, a single Black Swan, a distant Channel-billed Cuckoo (what a monster), Purple Gallinule, Black Ducks and the inevitable Noisy Miners. One soggy Pied Cuckoo-shrike flew in and sat hunched on a chair back.

We were told to watch out for the Kookaburra which flies off with complete sandwiches and reacts aggressively if baulked. We've never seen one here.....
A quick visit to Indoorpilly Mall on the way home for a quick look at the sales. I bought some slip on slippers for the house (£4), and a John Williamson CD. Pam got a big pink pencil case from Smiggle and we drove home in more rain.
The family were back having enjoyed the film, Josh sitting at his new red desk playing games on his laptop and Harry mailing friends on his. Peace and quiet reigned.
Supper of bacon, sausages, eggs and tomatoes was cooked by Mike on the BBQ with Sara helping in the kitchen - heating beans and making toast.
Later on all of us, save Mike, played the new board game ' Dash around Australia' - when we all discovered how little we knew about this country!!
To-morrow is due to be drier and we all know that we're going to the beach......

Ikea at Last

Our nearest Ikea at home is in Milton Keynes. We've wondered about going as Sara is a big fan, but never got round to it. We woke to rain again and the family trip to Mooloolabba and the beach was postponed. The boys weren't keen on a shopping trip but they were over-ruled. Sara drove us two and Mike took the boys. By the time decisions had been made, Mike had vaccuumed and everyone was ready, the first stop on arrival at Ikea was the cafe for lunch. It was heaving. The long queue didn't seem to take long though. They are very famous for their Swedish Meatballs -called Kottbullar - which can be bought as 10, 15 or 20. I had 10 which was plenty. They come with a cream sauce called Graddsas and boiled potatoes or french fries, plus lingonberry jam. Sounds like a peculiar combination but it was very nice. Mike had that too, Sara, Pam and Josh had fish, which they pronounced delicious, Harry a pizza thing. Just to prove we were there........

We three women toured the market area whilst Mike and the boys went off to choose a desk for J and desk chairs for both of them.
After a short drive, followed by a drink in a cafe, we then toured Anaconda, an outdoor shop which Mike loves. They're now putting the desk and chairs together, smoothly so far.

Some pics of the more introspective but delightful Harry (especially for you Mags)

Christmas morning

Christmas Dinner


The carnage of Boxing Day morning

Escape to Samsonvale

Despite torrential rain, necessitating the fastest wiper speed, we were in Samsonvale by 6.20 a.m. The rain continued whilst we sat, eating breakfast, watching the birds which appeared when it eased. I missed photographing the Sea Eagle......but managed the resident Guineafowl.

We thought they'd been eaten by a predator but they turned up to-day - last year there were only two. The theory is that someone has dumped them and kind locals provide them with food. They are countable on the Aus list but I'm not sure about the provenance of these!
The very pretty and easily spooked, Bar-shouldered Doves hang about here too, we don't see them anywhere else.

In a respite, we walked through the cemetery to the water's edge, remembering the web photos of Red-bellied Black and Eastern Brown Snakes entwining in a mating dance on the graves. None to-day. Soggy Figbirds

and the vulterine-looking Noisy Friarbirds

perched distantly, a Varied Whistler showed briefly and at least half a dozen Whistling Kites called constantly. Their call is reminiscent of that of a Buzzard. A pile of soil in the cemetery area held nesting Rainbow Bee-eater, they often nest in holes in the ground.

Three hours went by very quickly before the debate as to what next. Mount Glorious and Maiala got Pam's vote. First time we've ever driven up the mountain from this direction, an even more steeply ascending road with hairpin bends than the usual.
Maiala was rainless and busy with picnicking families and racing children. We had our lunch and departed.
One stop at Jolly's Lookout on the way down to The Gap, more happy families....
The family was still out, we downloaded photos and had a drink before discovering we were out of bread. As we left for a quick Woolworths visit, Sara and co arrived back from Nudgee. As we returned from the shop, Mike left....he needed a special connecting cable for his present from us all.
Josh was out of sorts, having trouble with one of his games, he was booting a ball outside whilst muttering to himself. I joined him in playing footie with some hazards we had to avoid, placed in the goalmouth. What a daft Gran. My legs didn't last long.
Harry was very happily playing on his keyboard and sending me messages via Skype on his laptop. Typical of both boys' favoured activities - but they both want to show me stuff which is lovely.
After a game involving jumping out of a plane , opening a parachute and landing on a target (occasionally), on my laptop with J, Pam bailed me out and played Bowls and Table Tennis on the Wii with him. When she was tired (arm) I played my first game of 100 pin bowling on the Wii and thoroughly enjoyed it. I must photograph them.....
The mangoes here are delicious and not expensive. I prepared one each for the boys and myself as dessert to-night. They love them too.
Time to do to-day's bird list and to keep awake until 10.

Boxing Day

We all had a very quiet day after a late start. Heavy rain during the night and frequent showers during the afternoon and evening. At least it breaks the humidity as they are accompanied by wind squalls. Only 28C and that's what's forecast for the rest of the week. Pam and I intended going to JC Slaughter Falls to-night to try and see Powerful Owl, the rain put paid to that. Samsonvale for birding is our plan for to-morrow. The family may go to Nudgee to fly their kites.This is one of Pam's photos from yesterday showing Josh and his miniature pool table.

Christmas Day

Our day started at 5.20, we'd told the boys they could open their stockings in our bedroom. Pam went out to make a drink at 6 and to tell the boys they could come in - bringing stockings for us too. Lovely, Sara had done them. We had a lovely time before showering and waiting for Mike and Sara to rise soon after 8.
Mike got ham and cheese croissants for breakfast before Sara went to dress and the present opening could begin.

Joshi's rules......youngest first, oldest last, each opening one present in turn.

This lasted most of the morning. Sara had done a fantastic job by us - as had everyone else for each other.

New Speedos

The rest of the morning and afternoon wa spent playing with the presents. We played pool with Josh, Harry worked on his Yamaha keyboard,

Sara sorted out her IPhone and Mike helped with everything. He also moved the trampoline so that Josh's new goals could go up in its place. Josh then spent half an hour belting hell out of a ball.
Mid afternoon, Pam and I joined the boys in the pool, playing with their bounce on water balls, great fun. Mike joined us whilst Sara played ball retriever before she too joined us in the pool. No, we've never spent Christmas Day in a swimming pool before ........the answer to Mike's question. We must have been in there for well over an hour before it was veggie cooking time for Sara and a rest for us. Mike cooked the turkey in the BBQ, the smell wafting over us in the pool.
More pool with J, who makes up the rules as he plays. I was asked to make the gravy, and then Pam and I went for a walk to a nearby park. Dinner was served soon after our return, it was delicious as was the pudding and, I'm stuffed.

It must be 30 years since I last had Christmas dinner cooked for me.

A lovely day which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

Christmas Eve

The electricity went off in the night - no storm - causing Pam a deal of angst as she thought she'd caused it. Washing her hands and splashing water onto the battery charger (?!). She didn't go back to sleep until it came back on.
Sara set and decorated the table ready for to-morrow whilst I made the stuffing - as requested - and the boys disappeared upstairs to the computer. After lunch, Mike drove Pam and I to a grog shop he'd found, cheaper than the usual and immense. Mike usually finds a couple of people there apart from himself; to-day it was heaving, with 6 tills open and 10-12 trolleys in each queue.
I made mince pies - we found Robertson's mincemeat in Cole's - whilst Sara prepared dinner. Harry joined in with the rolling, making faces on the lids and adopting a lump of leftover pastry which he called Timothy.
Pam played Josh at 100 pin bowls on the Wii and won again, there's no stopping her now. A photo of the table layed for our delicious evening meal of lamb cutlets, roast squash and pecans, square potatoes and salad, washed down with Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc.


Josh was in I Spy mode . We all played and it soon descended into farce, the words becoming dafter and more obscure. They're now watching Wallace and Gromitt 'A matter of Loaf and Death'. Very clever, we watched it last Christmas.
Happy Christmas to all my readers.......

Breakfast at Buckley's Hole, Lunch at Toorbul

Pam had a rough night - too many meatballs - so we didn't leave until 6 a.m. Still early enough to miss most of the traffic on the Gympie, and then the Bruce, Highway to Bribie Island. It's at least 30ks from the Bruce turnoff to the bridge across the Pumicestone Passage linking the mainland to the island. Each of the lamps across the bridge has a roosting Pelican. Lovely.
I thought we'd try a new site at Kakadu meant to be good for roosting waders, well it was before a number of very nice houses were built in the mangroves. The builders had placed a good looking standing only hide as a sop, unfortunately none of the slits were the right height for Pam. Just as well that the waders were in single figures with nothing new.
Back to Bongaree on the east coast and our favourite Buckley's Hole.a known birding site. It's a freshwater pool at the edge of the dunes, a spit beyond has always been full of gulls and terns. No birds on the spit to-day and the least amount of water we've ever seen in the pool. We settled ourselves at a picnic table under a tree to eat our muesli breakfast and to scan the pool.

Rainbow Lorikeets squabbled in the tree above

and the pool turned up trumps. Two lifers, Lewin's Rail and Spotless Crake, very distant but identifiable through the scope. A Buff-banded Rail fossicked in the mud, several Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a single Marsh Sandpiper scurried amongst the Grey Teal, handsome Chestnut Teal and Stilts.

An Osprey flew over as we were joined by an older lady armed with a pair of binoculars and dragging an attractive little hairy dog. She enjoyed looking through our scope, she'd taken hers out of the car because of the heat. It was a lovely day, Bribie always has a cooling breeze.
After a sortie up the Water Treatment Works track where we added Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, two Dollarbirds and a Rainbow Bee-eater, we drove back over the bridge to the mainland. The aim was the Toorbul wader roost , mainland side of the Pumicestone Passage, which involved a longish detour through pineapple fields. The Esplanade runs along the shore giving good views of the mud and mangroves. Near the dead end, we drove off the road onto the grassy shore and another shady picnic table. Here we ate lunch and puzzled over the identification of the numerous waders in front of us. The tide was coming in so they gradually got nearer.

Until a Whistling Kite cruised by....the clouds of fleeing waders soon returned but further away.

The vast majority were Eastern Curlews

and Bar-tailed Godwits. We also found, Red-necked Stints, more Sharp-tailed, Red-capped Plovers, a few Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattlers and Whimbrel.

A 4x4 drew in and a scope was set up. I was photographing nearby, he greeted me and I took the opportunity to pick his brains. The first Aus birder we've ever met in the field. He confirmed our findings and then told us where to find a Toorbul - and Queensland - speciality, Black-tailed Godwit (!!) We duly found them plus half a dozen sleeping Greenshank. Home from home. He also told us the whereabouts of the endemic Australian Crane, Brolga, usually found further north. As we were driving along the road out, four Brolga flew across the road in front of us and landed near a single cow. Not a stopping area but we found a gateway.

That was the end of birding for the day and we had a smooth trip home via Everton Park, getting in mid afternoon. In time to finish off two large Shepherd's Pies, download my photographs and sit outside for a quiet read. Hm, until WW 3 broke out between the boys. After 10 minutes in their bedrooms, I conducted peace negotiations and calm was restored.
Christmas Eve to-morrow, seems most unlikely in this weather..........

Shopping, Cooking and a Thunderstorm

The heading summarises the day ....We shopped in the morning at both Woolworths and Coles, the two major supermarket chains. Woollies didn't have the yoghurts, cheese (they don't know about real vintage cheddar) and chopped bacon and we managed to get something that looked like sausagemeat at last. The young man just took the skins off some sausages for us!! The previous 'sausage mince' was horribly pink and smooth.
Sara and Mike went out shopping after lunch, Harry had friend Calum round and Josh taught Pam how to play table tennis on the Wii. She wants one now. I cooked an enormous mound of shepherd's pie base, Sara requested it for to-morrow night plus a second lot for the freezer. I needed several drinks during and after, despite a huge thunderstorm it was still hot for me. Josh was eager to play cards but I went to shower and cool off a while first. I also packed some presents.
To-night is another entertaining packing performance from Sara and the boys. Harry's writing and Josh is on sticking duty to-night. In the middle of it all, Josh got up and hula hooped in his favourite Lionel Messi shorts. Can't remember how to remove red-eye.

Looking forward to an outing to Bribie Island to-morrow, fingers crossed that it's dry in the morning.

Water Birds Day

Rain was forecast -again- for southern Queensland so we changed our plans, thinking that we could watch water birds from the car. We drove for an hour, almost due west, along the Centenary Highway until we reached the Gatton Campus of the University of Queensland. It's the Agricultural school on a truly enormous site in the Lockyer Valley, which is a vast plain where fruit, vegetables and grain is grown. We toured the site a bit finding delightful Red-rumped Parrots, a flock of about 50 Little Corellas and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets feeding at a grain store.
Scaly-breasted Lorikeets

before locating Galletly Lakes which is a bird reserve. There were hundreds of waterfowl in view, mainly the rather gawky Magpie Geese, delightful Pink-eared Ducks, Plumed Whistling Ducks and Grey Teal.

The few endemic Red-necked Avocets were a world tick, handsome birds. Pam saw a Latham's Snipe in the far reed bed whilst I was photographing. A good spot and a definite Aus tick. Purple Swamphens and a Forest Kingfisher watched over the scene until we dragged ourselves away.
Purple Swamphen


As we walked back hordes of magpie Geese flew in overhead whilst I prayed that they didn't poo. They're huge birds and so much more graceful in flight.

We found an empty car park with a shady awning, parked with doors and windows open and enjoyed a breakfast of muesli and Milo.
Apex Lakes at the nearby town of Gatton are also full of common waterfowl with more cormorants, nesting Cattle Egrets, a single black-billed Royal Spoonbill and a tiny (14-16 cm) Black-fronted Dotterel.

Five species of Bird

Black-fronted Dotterel

Lack of a map of the area prompted a visit to the Information Centre, just a month old and palatial. Most unexpected. After a drink and a shortbread star in the cafe, we set off for Lake Clarendon, stopping at a roadside stall to buy a melon. Served by a lovely elderly couple who had grown the fruit and gave us a slice to taste. We didn't stop for mangoes at 12$ (about £8) a tray of 16.......
The water was miles away at Clarendon, a roadside pool en route was much better, adding a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and two species of tern to our list.
Lake Atkinson was full of water and also had a speedboat and water skier with two large caravan/awning/ frame tent encampments. BUT, we saw a Wedge-tailed Eagle, A Fish Eagle and two Black Falcons spiralling together. It was now mid-day and still dry. After eating a roll for lunch we returned to Brisbane by a rather circuitous route (lost). The radio told us that there was already a storm in Brissie and we hit the first rain at 1.30, still 30K away.
No big car and family, they'd all gone to see 'Avatar', I'd turned down the offer and Pam never says yes to the cinema. A very pleasant temperature to-day so, we sat out whilst I turned up a pair of shorts (they were too long) for Pam and, cut down a pair of cotton trousers for me. Sara brought me some 'black' thread last night. In the light to-day, it was bottle green.......for blue trousers.
Sara and the boys are wrapping Mike's presents which is fairly entertaining. Josh is often a source of amusement. He was brushing his cheek with his electric toothbrush the other night. Sara asked him what he thought he was doing. It says on the box he says ' for brushing tongue and cheeks'.