Overseas travel plans for 2020 were cancelled to the Covid-19 virus and travel interstate continues to be limited. Fortunately we’re able to continue to travel in Queensland. We’ve just returned from a 40-day road trip to north Queensland with our caravan, including southern Cape York. Our first night was in Mundubbera, in the northern Burnett Valley. We planned to overnight in Rolleston but all parks were full there and in Springsure; we managed to book the last spot in a caravan park in Emerald. I've reported already on our connection with a pair of nesting Red Goshawks (see following post).
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We feared Queensland was to be booked out due to an influx of interstate visitors who are unable to travel overseas. That turned out not to be the case. We had no trouble finding space after Emerald, although it was a little crowded along the coast on the way back. Our first camp of substance after Emerald was three nights at Theresa Creek Dam, a short drive south-west of Claremont. This is a spacious campground in dry woodland surrounding the dam. Best of the bunch here was Rufous Bettong. They can be seen easily around the campground at night on lawns adjoining patches of long grass.
Wandering the surrounding ridges I found Herbert’s Rock-Wallaby to be quite common in rocky outcrops, including close to the campground. Wallaroo was also numerous.
A Barking Owl was found during the day along a small creek running into the dam.
Other nice birds included Spotted Bowerbird, which was tame around the camps, Blue-winged Kookaburra and Red-backed Kingfisher.
Purple-backed Fairywren showed nicely in waterside vegetation. Brolga, Whiskered Tern, Pied Cormorant and Great Crested Grebe were among waterbirds on and around the dam. Australian Raven and Torresian Crow were both about.
