Hi,
The Stanley River is in the northern part of the catchment, whose water
flowed so dramatically down the Brisbane River earlier this week. James
and I have a habit of going birding somewhere at dawn every week or so,
taking our breakfast with us. This morning, and this time without
breakfast, we headed west into the Stanley River valley, and were at the
Woodford Pub by 8am as it opened for Sunday breakfast.
The rural valley was subject to heavy flooding this week, though we had
no trouble negotiating any of the roads. Clearly the bulldozers and
graders have been in there opening gravel roads, and there is evidence
of bitumen patching already. And still plenty of potholes, too. Fences
everywhere carried evidence to the top strand of wire that there had
been very serious inundation, and the flattened grasses showed that the
water had travelled at considerable velocity.
We saw more Kestrels than usual. We saw fewer Wood Ducks than usual. We
saw a few Black Ducks in trees, and perhaps they are renesting. A family
of Wandering Whistling Ducks had an enormous clutch (13) of ducklings,
growing well, but still showing down. I suppose the most memorable sight
of the morning was at a wetland on McCabe Road, where we saw at least 13
Latham's Snipe. That's a large number for these parts. There's water
everywhere you look. It's even a bit dodgy pulling off the road to park.
Cisticolas and Tawny Grassbirds were calling everywhere, but not showing
much.
The Stanley River has been one of our favourite local birding areas for
over 20 years. It's in the hinterland of the southern end of the
Sunshine Coast, and is accessed from the coast by the Beerwah-Peachester
Road. And the Woodford Pub puts on a lovely Sunday breakfast for about
$16 each. They even turn down the appalling music when we ask. I'm sure
they turn it up again as soon as we leave. After all, it's only playing
to babysit the staff.
Cheers,
Jill
--
Jill Dening
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
26° 51' 41"S 152° 56' 00"E
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