Our Growing Community

I began writing this in the Babbler camp at 4am yesterday morning. We arrived in Gluepot Reserve about 10:30am Monday after the 50k drive on the dirt, sand, rock and mud road. The road in is not as good as it was in 2012 when I was last there, but it’s still drivable. There was a very bad mud area in the Taylorville stretch, but Matilda truly made me proud. She is 2WD but she has clearance, determination and heart. I am grateful!

 

Turn right and shake, rattle and roll for 50k.

Once we were into the reserve itself, we were greeted by White-winged Fairy-wrens at Gypsum Dam area. They are one of the most beautiful of a very beautiful group of birds. I am grateful.
     

White-winged Fairy-wren, not the easiest of birds of which to get a good photo. So beautiful.

         

As we were looking about that area, we noticed a couple birding back down the road. I walked over to see what they were seeing and we met Lindy and Nick. We told them about the White-winged and they wanted to see them. We showed them where the wrens were, chatted a bit, then headed on to the Visitor’s Centre. Lindy and Tony soon showed up there as well. Then we all ended up over at Long Dam, where we saw Lynn’s Lifer Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo as a pair flew along the far side of the dry dam. Yes, she has now beheld the “pink cockatoo!” I am grateful.

We birded the dam area with Lindy and Nick and amongst the dozens of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters we saw some Australian Ringnecks and one Mulga Parrot (another lifer for Lynn). As we were heading back to the vehicles, there was a small flock of birds moving about the scrub and I said, “Look, Whitefaces.” which turned out to be a lifer for our new friends (and we told them about Lifer Pie of course). I am grateful.
     

Southern Whiteface

We parted company and Lynn and I headed back to our campsite, but stopped by the visitor centre to check the board first. As we were talking to Ranger Suzi, Lindy and Nick showed up and told us that they had left a note for us at our campsite telling us that they had heard, then seen, two Gilbert’s Whistlers 3.1 k from our camp. We went. We saw. Lynn got another lifer. I am grateful.
     

An immature Gilbert's Whistler, a lifer for Lynn.

Now Lindy is a facebook friend. The circle grows wider. We are grateful members of a wonderful community. We share information and enthusiasm, elation and disappointment, knowledge and experience. We share of love of being “amongst it.” We are diverse, yet so similar. We are birders, and twitchers, and birdwatchers. We are the Birding community. We are genuine and passionate and I am grateful.

Here are some more photos from our two days at Gluepot. Stay tuned, I will keep y’all posted…

Matilda at the Gluepot Reserve visitor's centre

Babbler Campsite

Splendid Fairy-wren

They are indeed...

White-browed Babbler

A Weebill looking oddly (almost creepily) seductive. They do have such personality.

A backlit, long shot of Lynn's lifer Crested Bellbird. We heard them over and over and finally saw this one at the top a tree. They are quite ventriloquistic.

Matilda and me getting amongst it.

     Birds. Peace. Love. Earth. Laughter. Music.