Boondall Wetlands to TinchiTamba

We made good time -and had an easy journey - to Boondall Wetlands via Nudgee Beach. Nudgee is at the end of Kedron Brook Floodway north of Brisbane Airport. Boondall is a mile or so past it; it's a mangrove reserve area along a creek with a good raised boardwalk. Very peaceful but for the cicada dawn chorus.

Apart from leaping fish, some of a good size, we saw little apart from the mangrove loving Collared Kingfisher on the way out to where the creek meets the sea.

Even the Rainbow Bee-eaters which nest along there were missing. A small flock of Leaden Flycatchers played chase through the treetops, a dimunitive Mangrove Gerygone fled into a thicket and we sat on a bench enjoying the lovely morning.
We noticed a blue rope floating in on the incoming tide, out of our reach - until Pam found a branch. Hauling the rope in, whilst lying on her front on the boards, it became heavier. It was attached to a round metal fish trap. At the expense of muddy shorts and rusty hands... we undid the knots and, were just about to jettison the trap on the mudbank, when a local informed us that we were not allowed to fish in the creek. He then noticed our bins and said 'ah you're birders' and we put him right on the trap.

A few clouds came over, the humidity rose and the mozzies descended. We hastened back to the car seeing a few small red-clawed crabs en route.

We breakfasted at a table under an awning overlooking Kedron Brook where it meets the sea. A large flock of White-throated Needletails fed above the trees , a single Great Crested Tern cruised by and three Dollarbirds sat in a dead tree across the river.
After a drink at Pam's Cafe 88 (!!) we drove to TinchTamba Wetland Reserve the pretty way, via Redcliffe. It's not far in distance but rather circuitous to find. Some very helpful women in Redcliffe Info Centre provided us with local maps and advice which helped no end.
We ate our lunch and then, despite the heat, we walked from the car park to the riverside via another good boardwalk through the casuarina and then Mangroves.

Doing this at mid-day was not a good idea! We were steaming. Pam left her hat in Bundy so wore one of mine which is kept here. Hm.......

I noticed a non poisonous Golden Orb Spider in its web, well above head height across the boardwalk. It's about 5 inches long and very lovely.

We were home by 2, cooled down whilst eating a slice of warm Banana Bread cooked by Mike (his second ever and using my recipe, it was a 10/10). They were out. Pam and I spent an hour in the pool which was lovely, most re-enervating. After a shower and a cuppa, Mike and the boys + Jonno (Harry's friend) and Ryan (Joshua's friend) arrived home from Belbowrie swimming pool. Mike warned us that they were staying for supper and a sleepover. An early night for us I think.