The Birds

Today we left Georgetown just after nine and headed along the Savannah Way to Normanton. The road was not quite as bad as yesterday with many more wide bits and actually some really good bits between Croydon and our destination. Croydon was a nice neat little town; with interesting lamp posts, forged at the Stuart and McKenzie Foundry and previously run on kerosene, in the main street and a lovely little park which is a birder’s delight. There were trees around the edge and so many different species of birds flitting around, calling, and chasing each other. I was rapt and immediately got the camera out of the car to try to get some photos since we were not on a tight schedule today and it was a pleasant place for a break. I photographed a black-faced Woodswallow, a yellow honey eater and another black and white bird that I have not identified because I didn’t get a great shot.
The trip was uneventful except for noticing lots of Black Kites flying near the road side which we tried to stop and photograph a couple of times but they flew away. When we drove into Normanton a couple of things stood out as unusual; one was the two horses grazing on the grass untethered on the median strip and the other was the number of Kites hovering over the town itself. There is also a huge crocodile (not real of course!) in the main street that is a replica of one caught in the area a long time ago. We got to Normanton Caravan Park about twenty minutes earlier than the usual check-in time of 2pm but that was OK by them and we were shown our cabin and other amenities. They have a two year old wire-haired Jack Russell terrier named Jessie here that trots around with the owner when she is doing things around the park. She is a typical Jack Russell, when she hears her mistress call her; Jessie looks up and checks where she is then continues about her own business. Sounds like someone we have at home! The park was amazingly busy when we got here yesterday and kept filling up all afternoon with both caravans and campers and people like us staying in cabins.
The Black Kites seem to be part of the norm here. At first we thought it was the high winds that were happening on the day we arrived which may have made it easy to hover and soar above the town but it appears that they just hang around all the time since Black Kites tend to live off carrion and scraps rather than hunting for their selves. So, I guess they are this town’s seagulls, apostle birds or ibis! Even so they are an amazing site and as you can imagine I was in seventh heaven trying to get photos of them on the wing. I did manage to get some reasonable shots and got better at it with practice which I got quite a lot of! I think there were a few young birds too since some have the lighter colouring and fluffy head so I guess they would enjoy practicing their flying skills on the strong winds. As well as the kites I saw and took a photo of a Channel-billed cuckoo and a Blue-faced honeyeater; both birds that I have never seen before and quite interesting to look at.
As well as having time to photograph birds, we had time to do some washing which tends to be necessary every now and then. You don’t realize how much you take simple things such as a large wardrobe to choose from and a laundry available whenever you need it for granted. Not to mention mobile phone and internet access! Apparently the CDMA network is available here but what city dweller is going to have one of those still in operation! We seem to be incommunicado quite often lately and it is a very frustrating feeling. I know Tristan is horrified by the idea! Never mind, there is always the phone box which I did avail myself of tonight to call home and speak to Tris, Jen and Mum feeding in the gold coins as I went. Brought back memories of the old days in Merimbula when we were kids; you know before mobile phones were invented. Yes, I am that old!