Goondiwindi - Redman Park

Hot! After some very pleasant weather we are suddenly in the midst of a heat wave. We are camped at Goondiwindi at a rest stop and the heat has been quite oppressive. One does not feel like doing very much... And neither do I. Temperatures are reported up around 40 degrees.

These little characters turned up to take a drink at a puddle. I decided they acted a lot like the coughs we had seen last year at Blowering Dam but you need to see them fly to see if they have the characteristic white on their wings. Pam did see them fly and confirmed who they were. They are becoming one of my favourite birds. They are mostly seen in cooperative family groups foraging along the ground like little mini chooks.

Families include one breeding pair and siblings from earlier hatchings. All members contribute to rearing the latest brood. Group numbers vary depending on the environment, but we have mostly seen them in 5 to 10 per group. Sometimes individual birds defect to another group or sometimes are kidnapped since larger groups survive more readily.

Mostly pedestrians, these funny little birds can fly very well displaying great skill and judgement in the air. Often one in the group will act as a lookout watching for intruders. A few loud chatters and the entire group is on high alert.Read more