Road Trip Day 12 - Day 5 in Broome
Mar. 31st, 2011 05:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyre14/3/2011
I woke up and noticed it was just starting to get light outside and checked the time. 5:30am. If I got moving I could be on the viewing platform for sunrise, so off I went. Most of last night's rain had dried off the land and was now back in the air – I was sweating profusely within a few minutes.
The tide was still on it's way out and as I waited a few waders flew in – mostly Whimbrels. I didn't actually see the sun rise because of the cloud cover, but it was very pretty. I popped back to my room briefly then was ready for breakfast so I moved to the shadehouse for the early morning. I was alone for a bit then Frank and his friend turned up, they were leaving today, as early as possible. I figured everyone else had had a very late night and were recovering.
I managed to pop back down to the viewing platform briefly and tidy up my car before taking Jodie (one of the banding peeps) into town to catch a plane.
Seeing as I was now in town again I drove down to Cable Beach and got online for a bit before wandering around the reef there again. I stopped in to look at the Willie Creek Pearls showroom before heading back out to Hidden Valley to pick up some of their new Sweet Dreams soap (vanilla scented). I also picked up a few other things because I am addict. :) I wanted to stay in the shop all day, but had to move on. It was getting toward lunch time and I was getting peckish.
I figured I could go to Town Beach Cafe, but once I got there I discovered it was closed. So I went back to Chinatown to investigate the possibility of lunch at the Lustre Bar – a place that wasn't there in 2005. The menu looked good so I ordered and took a seat. I got salt and pepper squid on rocket and wakame salad with wasabi mayo and a “Ginger Zinger” - a mocktail involving ginger ale and pineapple juice. The wasabi mayo wasn't very hot, and the salad also had a load of raw onion in it, but apart from that it was lovely. I took the opportunity, sitting in air-con, to go online again for a while. I must have stuck around for about half an hour after I finished eating. My lappy decided it wanted to update/reboot, which took ages.
Then it was onto the sewer works once again. I managed to get a little more height this time by sitting on the rim of the sunroof, but it still wasn't enough to see much – no sign of the Semi-palmated Plover. :(
I popped into the Boulevard to get a few groceries before heading back out to the obs – by now it was 3pm, time flies when you're mucking about!
I checked a few of the beaches on the way out, but the tide had turned and was on its way out again and there was not enough water to push the waders into flocks on the beach. Tomorrow won't be much better as it is a neap tide.
On my return to the Obs I hemmed and hawed for quite a while as to whether I was going to stay another night or not. Eventually I decided to do so, tomorrow I will try to stay around the Obs and focus on birding. Some of the guys headed out to the One Tree mangroves this afternoon – but I was buggered and the clouds overhead looked quite threatening.
I eventually wandered back to my room to cool down but it wasn't long before I decided to walk the Pindan trail and take some photos of the bower. I decided to do this wearing a dress and thongs, later in the afternoon, with a huge, grey thunderhead looming in the sky. I ended up rushing most of it, worried it would pelt down with rain at any moment. The cool breeze blowing through the bush was refreshing, but a harbinger of impending wetness. And as a further insult, I couldn't find the bower! (I later found that it has actually moved – I might have another search for it tomorrow).
Back to my room for a cool down and relax, but it wasn't long until I heard raindrops, so I sat outside for a bit, enjoying the sudden drop in temperature. Then it was dinnertime, so off I went back to the shadehouse.
The “Black Jewfish” I bought was one of those annoying, tough, meaty fishes. The fillet curled up as it cooked and was stringy and not very nice. }:-\ The rest of dinner was great though, followed by more of that chocolate pudding – this time with custard too.
Tonight we're listening to my CDs, so far we've had Crowded House and Hunters and Collectors and now Jason Mraz is playing. And we are back up to date.
Not long after that, around 10pm I was waiting for the CD to finish so I could put it away and have a shower, and it started to rain. Then it started to bucket down, counting the interval between lightning and the loud cracking thunder indicated the storm was pretty much right overhead. It was suddenly so wet and windy that I was getting sprayed sitting in the shadehouse (which only has mesh walls) and started to get quite chilly! I figured I'd wait it out but by almost 10:30 it showed no sign of letting up, so I packed my gear into my drybag (hey, at least I was prepared) and made for the toilet then for bed. I figured I might have to try for a shower in the morning and went to sleep still grotty with dirt and sunscreen and repellent and everything else (I hate doing that, being dry and clean while you sleep is a small luxury out here). I must have slept for about an hour before my bladder woke me again (drinking loads of water in this humidity is annoying like that). It had also stopped raining (well, it was a VERY light sprinkle), so I got all my shower gear together and went for it. So much nicer being clean again. Pity your feet can never stay absolutely clean, thongs will inevitably let dirt in and flick sand up the back of your legs.
14/3/2011 (Broome Bird Observatory, Cable Beach, Blue Haze, Chinatown, Sewer Works, Northern Beaches)
Bar-shouldered Dove
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black Kite
Black-faced Woodswallow
Black-shouldered Kite
Black-winged Stilt
Brahminy Kite
Brown Honeyeater
Caspian Tern
Collared Sparrowhawk
Common Greenshank
Corella
Crested Pigeon
Double-barred Finch
Eastern Curlew
Eastern Reef Egret
Great Bowerbird
Greater Sand Plover
Grey Shrike-thrush (H)
Grey-crowned Babbler
Grey-tailed Tattler
Little Friarbird
Magpie Lark
Masked Lapwing
Mistletoebird
Paperbark Flycatcher
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Bee-eater
Red-collared Lorikeet
Red-winged Parrot
Ruddy Turnstone
Rufous Whistler (H)
Silver Gull
Singing Honeyeater
Striated Pardalote (H)
Torresian Crow
Whimbrel
White-bellied Sea Eagle
White-gaped Honeyeater (H)
White-throated Gerygone (H)
Willie Wagtail
See the rest of today's photos here.
I woke up and noticed it was just starting to get light outside and checked the time. 5:30am. If I got moving I could be on the viewing platform for sunrise, so off I went. Most of last night's rain had dried off the land and was now back in the air – I was sweating profusely within a few minutes.
 |
Sunrise over Roebuck Bay Without flash. Taken from BBO viewing platform. |
The tide was still on it's way out and as I waited a few waders flew in – mostly Whimbrels. I didn't actually see the sun rise because of the cloud cover, but it was very pretty. I popped back to my room briefly then was ready for breakfast so I moved to the shadehouse for the early morning. I was alone for a bit then Frank and his friend turned up, they were leaving today, as early as possible. I figured everyone else had had a very late night and were recovering.
| Sunrise over Roebuck Bay The lagoon framed by trees by the viewing platform. |
 |
I managed to pop back down to the viewing platform briefly and tidy up my car before taking Jodie (one of the banding peeps) into town to catch a plane.
 |
Snake Vine This stuff was everywhere. Come the dry season it will be almost unnoticeable. |
Seeing as I was now in town again I drove down to Cable Beach and got online for a bit before wandering around the reef there again. I stopped in to look at the Willie Creek Pearls showroom before heading back out to Hidden Valley to pick up some of their new Sweet Dreams soap (vanilla scented). I also picked up a few other things because I am addict. :) I wanted to stay in the shop all day, but had to move on. It was getting toward lunch time and I was getting peckish.
| Bubble Crab They remind me of rice puffs. You will only notice the crabs as movement out of the corner of your eye before they disappear down thier holes. |
 |
I figured I could go to Town Beach Cafe, but once I got there I discovered it was closed. So I went back to Chinatown to investigate the possibility of lunch at the Lustre Bar – a place that wasn't there in 2005. The menu looked good so I ordered and took a seat. I got salt and pepper squid on rocket and wakame salad with wasabi mayo and a “Ginger Zinger” - a mocktail involving ginger ale and pineapple juice. The wasabi mayo wasn't very hot, and the salad also had a load of raw onion in it, but apart from that it was lovely. I took the opportunity, sitting in air-con, to go online again for a while. I must have stuck around for about half an hour after I finished eating. My lappy decided it wanted to update/reboot, which took ages.
 |
|
| Lunch at the Lustre Bar This was delicious and filling. |
Then it was onto the sewer works once again. I managed to get a little more height this time by sitting on the rim of the sunroof, but it still wasn't enough to see much – no sign of the Semi-palmated Plover. :(
I popped into the Boulevard to get a few groceries before heading back out to the obs – by now it was 3pm, time flies when you're mucking about!
I checked a few of the beaches on the way out, but the tide had turned and was on its way out again and there was not enough water to push the waders into flocks on the beach. Tomorrow won't be much better as it is a neap tide.
On my return to the Obs I hemmed and hawed for quite a while as to whether I was going to stay another night or not. Eventually I decided to do so, tomorrow I will try to stay around the Obs and focus on birding. Some of the guys headed out to the One Tree mangroves this afternoon – but I was buggered and the clouds overhead looked quite threatening.
I eventually wandered back to my room to cool down but it wasn't long before I decided to walk the Pindan trail and take some photos of the bower. I decided to do this wearing a dress and thongs, later in the afternoon, with a huge, grey thunderhead looming in the sky. I ended up rushing most of it, worried it would pelt down with rain at any moment. The cool breeze blowing through the bush was refreshing, but a harbinger of impending wetness. And as a further insult, I couldn't find the bower! (I later found that it has actually moved – I might have another search for it tomorrow).
Back to my room for a cool down and relax, but it wasn't long until I heard raindrops, so I sat outside for a bit, enjoying the sudden drop in temperature. Then it was dinnertime, so off I went back to the shadehouse.
The “Black Jewfish” I bought was one of those annoying, tough, meaty fishes. The fillet curled up as it cooked and was stringy and not very nice. }:-\ The rest of dinner was great though, followed by more of that chocolate pudding – this time with custard too.
Tonight we're listening to my CDs, so far we've had Crowded House and Hunters and Collectors and now Jason Mraz is playing. And we are back up to date.
 |
Frogs in the Shadehouse These guys live in the poles holding up the Shadehouse. When it rains they all emerge and start croaking happily. It's very loud though. |
Not long after that, around 10pm I was waiting for the CD to finish so I could put it away and have a shower, and it started to rain. Then it started to bucket down, counting the interval between lightning and the loud cracking thunder indicated the storm was pretty much right overhead. It was suddenly so wet and windy that I was getting sprayed sitting in the shadehouse (which only has mesh walls) and started to get quite chilly! I figured I'd wait it out but by almost 10:30 it showed no sign of letting up, so I packed my gear into my drybag (hey, at least I was prepared) and made for the toilet then for bed. I figured I might have to try for a shower in the morning and went to sleep still grotty with dirt and sunscreen and repellent and everything else (I hate doing that, being dry and clean while you sleep is a small luxury out here). I must have slept for about an hour before my bladder woke me again (drinking loads of water in this humidity is annoying like that). It had also stopped raining (well, it was a VERY light sprinkle), so I got all my shower gear together and went for it. So much nicer being clean again. Pity your feet can never stay absolutely clean, thongs will inevitably let dirt in and flick sand up the back of your legs.
14/3/2011 (Broome Bird Observatory, Cable Beach, Blue Haze, Chinatown, Sewer Works, Northern Beaches)
Bar-shouldered Dove
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black Kite
Black-faced Woodswallow
Black-shouldered Kite
Black-winged Stilt
Brahminy Kite
Brown Honeyeater
Caspian Tern
Collared Sparrowhawk
Common Greenshank
Corella
Crested Pigeon
Double-barred Finch
Eastern Curlew
Eastern Reef Egret
Great Bowerbird
Greater Sand Plover
Grey Shrike-thrush (H)
Grey-crowned Babbler
Grey-tailed Tattler
Little Friarbird
Magpie Lark
Masked Lapwing
Mistletoebird
Paperbark Flycatcher
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Bee-eater
Red-collared Lorikeet
Red-winged Parrot
Ruddy Turnstone
Rufous Whistler (H)
Silver Gull
Singing Honeyeater
Striated Pardalote (H)
Torresian Crow
Whimbrel
White-bellied Sea Eagle
White-gaped Honeyeater (H)
White-throated Gerygone (H)
Willie Wagtail
See the rest of today's photos here.
