Gluepot hits the Spot

Gluepot Bird Reserve, 94km down red dirt, corrugated roads north of Waikerie in South Australia, is a bushcamping gem with five wonderful bird hides and three perfect campgrounds nestled in the Mallee woodlands and speargrass cover.

We spent three days there, visiting hides in the cool of the early morning and the waning heat of late 

afternoon.

Each time of day had its own allure. In the morning, flocks of woodswallows, spiny-cheeked honeyeaters, and red wattlebirds serenaded with a chorus of fluting twitterings as they waited to descend to the small, cleverly designed water trough. 

In the evening more spiny-cheeked honeyeaters arrived with ringneck parakeets, mulga parrots, and lone pied and striped honeyeaters. 

At first, we wondered why these flocks of a hundred or so birds were so incredibly nervous, erupting in panicked swooshes triggered by shadows overhead. Then, silent as a ghost, a brown goshawk landed on the empty trough and surveyed his domain where respectfully keeping their distance were the birds on the menu.

The rest of the day was for us to rest in the shade from the 37 degree celcius heat. We felt pampered on our own in red dirt splendour with our solar power, cold drinks, and even our outside shower attached to the bus for some oh so cooling naked frolics.

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Gluepot, South Australia, Australia