Three days at Gluepot Reserve

The track to "Grasswren" Bird Hide at Gluepot

A Red-capped Robin at Gluepot

A pair of Red Wattle Birds at Gluepot

Mulga Parrot - Gluepot

Collared Sparrowhawk at Gluepot

Sunrise at Gluepot - Friday 7th May 2010

Three days at Gluepot Reserve

The 5o kilometres of dirt road into Gluepot was in reasonable condition giving us a good ride into the property. After registering and paying our $10.00 per car per day camping fees, we set up our camp at the Babbler camping grounds site. There were four other people there so the place was not over crowded. The afternoon that we arrived it was overcast with poor light and by the time we set up camp it was getting late. We checked out two of the hides but with darkness closing in it was back to the caravan to cook dinner and have an early night.

Gluepot has an area of 27 kilometres X 18 kilometres consisting of roads and walking tracks that can be used by visitors to the area. The hides are set up with a raised water trough that is kept full, and under normal conditions this is the only water on the property except for dams at the Ranger Station. All the birds have to come to one of these water troughs to drink. They are built high to prevent animals such as ferrule goats from drinking the water. There are still many birds such as wrens that do not come in to drink. There are five hides on the property and they are all several kilometres apart. The nearest one was 9.5 kilometres and the furtherest was around 16 kilometres from our camp.

On our first morning the sky was crystal clear turning golden as the sun came up. The glow through the Mulga trees was spectacular laying the darkened trees on a golden background. These trees have a thin leaf canopy layer and clump from the root system giving the effect of many trunks at different angles and very little foliage between the tops and the ground. Our routine for the next three days was the same, Get up before daylight and leave the Caravan just before sunup. Sit at one of the hides and then go to a second hide before exploring the bush for the birds that do not come into the water. Lunch was back at the caravan and then out again to check out the hides and bush walks.

On Friday morning we were treated to a brilliant sunrise. Cloud had moved in during the night and this gave Mother Nature the canvas on which to spread her paints. We realised that it was going to be special and headed out into an open area where we could watch the display of colour and light. We were not disappointed.

Four main species of birds frequented the hides, and these were Ring Neck parrots, Mulga Parrots, Spiny Cheeked Honeyeaters and Red Wattle Birds. Other species were also present but only with one or two birds coming in. Our favourite hide was Grasswren, mainly because it was good for photography and it seemed to have the most birds. It also had a resident Collard Sparrowhawk which caused havoc attacking the birds in search of a meal. The last morning we were there, it came in and landed at the water trough and proceeded to have a bath. It repeated this three times before returning to the canopy of the trees to dry in the sun. In the end a Red Wattle bird ended up attacking it and chasing it away. Yes, true story. The wattle bird flew straight at it and then chased it. Some of the other birds that I managed to photograph were: Striped and White Eared Honeyeaters, Red Capped Robins, Chestnut Rumped Thornbills, Nankeen Kestrel, Brown Treecreepers, Rufous and Gilberts Honeyeaters, Grey Fantail and as I was about to drive out the gate I saw and managed to photograph the elusive Black Eared Miner. We saw many other birds as well but did not get to capture them with the camera.

Thegoa Lagoon and reserve.

Thegoa Lagoon - A beauty of nature

This lagoon is a Billabong which used to be the main section of the Murray River. The river cut across the land opposit where the Darling River enters the Murray leaving two bends of the original river to form this Lagoon or Billabong.

Wenworth - Where the Darling meets the Murray

Where The Darling River meets the Murray River at Wentworth

The Port of Wentworth on the Darling River

The canopy of a 500 year old tree buried in 15 metres of sand - Perry Sandhills

A Storm approaches - Perry Sandhills – Wentworth

Tractor from the past – Wentworth

Tuesday 4/5/2010

We decided to stay at the caravan park in Mildura for another night and spend the day in the Wentworth area 30 Kilometres west and where the Darling River meets the Murray system. The information centre at Wentworth was most helpful and armed with our handful of local information, we set off on the tourist trail. Today was set aside for the tourist thing and I never picked up the big bird lens all day. Places visited included the Wentworth Port, Perry Sandhills, Thegoa Lagoon and Reserve, The Darling Murray Junction, The old Goal, Weir 10 and several other point of interest.

Lake Benanee to Mildura

Yellow Rosella at Lake Benanee

Red Capped Plover at Lake Benanee

Reflections at Lake Benanee

Australian Shellduck at Etwanda Wetlands in Mildura

The paddle Steamer Avoca on the Murray River at Mildura

Monday 3/5/2010

It was still dark when I left the caravan and walked down to the water’s edge at the lake. First light was just breaking and I watched the colour in the sky change until the sun broke over the horizon. The vapour trails from the jet streams of the high flying aircraft put lines across the colours of the sunrise spoiling the effect of the beauty that had been provided by Mother Nature herself. The birds were out in abundance. The lake appeared to attract them from the wilderness that surrounded it. Parrots and cockatoo’s searched for seed on the ground while Red Caped Plovers and Masked Laspwings fossicked along the shoreline to try and beat the seagulls, that were there in large numbers, from finding the first tasty morsels for the day. Swallows plucked insects from the air while a pair of Brown Tree-creepers searched the trunks of the trees for their breakfast. As I walked back to the van a family of rabbits scatted for the security of their warrens as I approached.

From Lake Benanee to Mildura was a leisurely hour’s drive. On our arrival we booked into a van park on the NSW side of the river and unhooked the van to make it easier for us to negotiate the city traffic and find parking places. We had decided to spend some time in Mildura and check out the place. The city of Mildura is in Victoria, across the Murray River. Steam paddle boats still work from this river port but today it is only to take tourist on a river cruise. After exploring the town, I left Coba at the caravan while I went to explore the Etiwanda Wetlands which used to be the sewerage ponds before they were transformed into a wetland centre. I think that this project must be reasonably new as they are still doing the roadwork in the reserve. Birdlife had not appeared to have taken to this area or today was a day out for them. There was one Black Swan, one Australian Grebe, one Yellow-billed Spoonbill, four Australian Shellducks, three Pied Cormorants and several Wood Ducks. A poor display for a wetlands centre. We had considered staying a couple of days here but in the morning we will make our decision on whether we stay or move on.

Lake Cargelligo to Lake Benanee (Euston)

Sunrise over Lake Cargelligo

The Main Street of Lake Cargelligo at 7.00am on a Saturday

The Modern Swagman - Leaving Lake Cargelligo

LAKE CARGELLIGO - Saturday 1/5/2010

It was still dark when I got up and went down to the lakeshore for the sunrise. The sky was cloudless and the rays from the sun which was still below the horizon lit up the eastern sky a beautiful golden color . Once the sun was up, I returned to the caravan via the main street, (one block long), which was deserted except for a person in a wheelchair on the footpath. Today was our washing day and Coba was up and ready to get a washing machine before others arrived and claimed them. We were lucky, no one else had made it to the laundry so we had first pick of the machines. While Coba stood guard over the washing, I drove around to the other side of the lake to a place called Curlew Waters. My main interest was in birds but the only birds that I saw were either flying over or flying away. After lunch we bought in the washing and headed to the weir which was the entrance to the lake system from the Lachlan River. When the Lachlan is in flood they open the gate and allow the water to enter the lake system and when the river is ready to start dropping they shut the large weir gate that retains the water in the lakes. The Australian Shellducks were still in the top shallow lake (Sheet of Water) but were very timid. There was no way we could get close to them and there was no cover to sneak up on them. At the weir we watched Welcome Swallows feed their young as they flew past them. I was also lucky enough to photograph Chestnut Rumped Thornbills that were in a tree beside the lake. Except for this it was a poor day for bird photography. As we came back towards town, we came across a modern day “Swagman”. He no longer carried his “Bluey” on his back but this chap had set himself up with a horse and cart. The cart had four rubber tyre wheels and the shaves were made of water pipe. The hard wooden seat that would normally be covered by a chaff bag had been replaced with a pair of bucket car seats. The seat belts were missing. The swag (Bluey) was in the back next to an esky. I guess this can only be classed as progress and also a way to beat fuel costs.

Sunday 2/5/2010

It was time for us to leave Lake Cargelligo and move on. With the caravan in tow, we headed for Rankins Springs on the Western Highway that links Sydney to Adelaide. It also links the Stuart and Newell Highways, We stopped at a bird observation point along the way but there was nothing there. It was then on to Hay where we fuelled up and purchased some supplies avoiding fruit which we would have to hand in at the check stations. The countryside was green with plenty of grass from the recent rains that had broke the drought. This has bought another problem with large numbers of Grasshoppers, or Locust as they are also known, hatching and covering the ground. They are now on the wing and flying and we ran into large swarms of these insects. The car was splattered with these grasshoppers so much so that we had to clean the windscreen so we could see out of it. Leaving Hay we passed large sheets of water on the country side from the rains. Wild ducks were plentiful at these patches of water. Soon after we hit the swarms of Locust again and by the time we reached Balranald we had to stop and clean the windscreen so we could see. By now the car was starting to smell from the splattered bodies of these insects. Our camping-site book told us of a campsite on the shore of Lake Benanee near Euston so we set this as out place to stop for the night and a good choice it was.

Australian Shellduck on Lake Cargelligo

Western Gerygone taken near Condobolin

A Chestnut Rumped Thornbill taken near Condobolin

BEYOND GULGONG - Wednesday 28/4/2010

The alarm went off for another 5.30am rise and the temperature outside the van was a cool 4 degrees C. The twenty minute drive from Gulgong to work allowed me to catch up on the news, bad as always. Greece had gone bust so there goes the super-fund again. I finished work at 2.00pm and, with the van in tow, headed for Wellington. A drive around the town and a stop at the visitors centre had me persuaded to drive the 20 kilometres out to Burrendong Dam and camp there for the night. This was close to the Burrendong Arboretum, (used to be known as Botanic Gardens before they found this fancy name), were I hoped to go and photograph birds the next day. I managed to photograph my first bird for the trip when we arrived at the dam. I was so excited to get a Common Noisy Miner. I now know that the quality of birds has to improve.

Next morning we explored Lake Burrendong leaving the van in the camping area. All roads led to the water and in the chill of the morning, the mist rose from the water like steam, and the low fog in the distance shrouded the hills on the other side of the lake with only the tops showing above this white fluffy roll. Red rumpled parrots and crested pigeons search the ground for grass seed while Apostle birds walked around displaying and calling with their raucous voices.

Happy with our exploration of the lake we set out to the Burrendong Arboretum and Botanic gardens heading for two small dams where we hoped to find birds. Australian Grebes fought over territory in one of the dams while the same birds lived in harmony in the second. Fairy wrens and finches were present on the sides of the dams sifting the grasses for insects and seeds. Again the Red Rump Parrots were plentiful and they would take off screeching at our approach. A family of Blue Faced honeyeaters were feeding on the flowers of a Hakea Lorea tree. Leaving the woodland area we headed into Fern Gulley. This very large area has been covered with a wire mesh and the leaves from the larger trees have built up on the mesh to give the effect of a tree canopy overhead. The fern grove is cool and shady with a small stream running through it. There is a $5.00 car admission fee to enter the gardens but it is worth it as the place is beautiful. Sadly there is no camping and the gates are shut at 5.00pm.

After lunching back at the caravan we took off heading back to Wellington and then on to Parks. From Parks we headed for Condobolin where we bought some supplies and drove out to Gum Bend Lake to camp for the night. The Lake is four kilometres west of the town and is manmade. Sadly there was no water in the lake but recent rains have the countryside beautiful and green.

Friday started with a great hot shower courtesy of the Condobolin Council at the campgrounds. I was hopeful that there would be a variety of birds there but sadly this was not the case. I guess that the dry lake bed had something to do with this. Two flowering gum trees could not attract anything except for Noisy Miners. Leaving town, we stopped at a rest area on a creek crossing 15 kilometres south of the town. There bird life was plentiful. I managed to photograph the Western Gerygone and Chestnut Rumped Thornbill both birds that I had not captured before. It was then on to Lake Cargelligo where we booked into the caravan park so we could have power for the computers. The road between Condobolin and Lake Cargelligo is one massive ploughed paddock. Trees have been cleared and huge tractors pull plough sets over 15 metres wide. The recent rain has everyone ploughing and planting. After lunch it was a look around the town before heading out around the lake in search of photographic subjects. There are three lakes in the Lake Cargelligo system connected by canals. To my surprise I saw a beautiful Sea Eagle in a tree beside the canal but it took off before I could stop the car. A large python type snake was sunning itself in the fork of a tree and this bought in the birds. I managed to get several shots of birds all harassing this snake. On the way back, Australian Shellducks were gathered on the water’s edge and I managed distant shots of these before they headed out into the lake. The sky out here is absolutely clear today without a cloud. I hope that this keeps up for a while yet. Tomorrow is more of Lake Cargelligo.