Bowra Sanctuary – near Cunnamulla
27 – 30 August 2018
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The Cunnamulla Fella, a character from a Stan Coster song made famous by Slim Dusty. |
Our purpose for travel is (usually) so that Mick can photograph birds, so a return to Bowra was on the “must do” list. Run by volunteers, under the auspices of Birds Queensland and Australian Wildlife Conservancy, this sanctuary is becoming increasingly popular. Camping by the lagoon is peaceful and affords a relatively close-up encounter with many birds. There is also an extensive network of tracks which allow visitors to get to various parts of the property to possibly view a number of species.
I mainly wished to visit Bowra to get a good shot of a Bourke's Parrot. These small, pastel coloured parrots generally drink before the sun rises and just after dark each night. This makes photographing them a difficult prospect. It is possible to find them feeding or roosting in the heat of the day and this is what I hoped to do. Unfortunately, the only ones I found during the day were chased away by a passing vehicle as I was trying to get close enough to get a shot. Mick
We initially planned to stay two nights, but extended to three as we were lulled into the laid-back, relaxed and peaceful surroundings. Shame about the 4° overnights though! The days, however, hovered in the very pleasant mid-twenties. We spent each morning driving to birding hot-spots and the afternoons hanging out at camp by the lagoon. It really doesn’t get much better than that.
After three nights we made a leisurely departure from Bowra as Mick spent some time hoping to get a couple of special photos before we left. We eventually made our way into town – Cunnamulla – where we had coffee and did some grocery shopping, before a picnic lunch in the park, right near the statue of the “Cunnamulla Fella”, made famous in a Slim Dusty song.
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| This Red-browed Pardelote was beginning to make a nest burrow near the shower building. |
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| Pooh experiences the drought. |
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| View from our camp. |
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| Our camp by the lagoon at Bowra. |
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| Australasian Grebe |
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| Australian Ringneck |
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| Black-winged Stilt |
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| Major Mitchell's Cockatoo. |
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| Red-capped Robin |
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| A Bourke's Parrot in the dark |
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| Jacky Winter, very common. |
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| Rufous Whistler |
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| Spotted Bowerbird |
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| Brown Goshawk with prey. |
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| A male Red-rumped Parrot comes to drink. |
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| Wallaby |
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| Whistling Kite |
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