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..........