Visited: very late dry season
Recommendation: This is a lovely campsite right on the beach. There are plenty of shorebirds to be found here, but also other wildlife around the camp and scrubland.
Gladstone Beach is a detour off the main highway between Carnarvon and Hamelin Pool. It is a private campground that has reasonable facilities and lots of space. It is a stone's throw away from the beach and a walkable sea wall and then a rather dilapidated jetty. Arriving in the afternoon, I immediately started to explore the beach as the tide was out. Initially it looked quiet but then I started to see small movements amongst the rocks. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
Most of the shorebirds were Red-capped Plovers. I like these little birds. They are found across the entire Australian mainland and at times into Papua New Guinea and southern Indonesia. Within Australia, they inhabit a variety of coastal and inland habitats, including estuaries, bays, beaches, sandflats, mudflats and inland saline wetlands. This wide distribution reflects their adaptability to different environments. They must be Australia's most successful non-migratory shorebird.
Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)
There were also a few Red-necked Stint on the beach. I am so full of admiration for these tiny birds that migrate from the Arctic Circle to Australasia. The Common Greenshank also migrates here and must have one of the widest range in the world. They breed in northern Europe and summer across the southern hemisphere.
Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)
At the end of the sea wall bank, there are the ruins of an old jetty. That is now home to the cormorants. These very elegant water birds were sitting, drying their feathers and preening. Floating next to the bank was a lone pelican. I felt a bit sorry for it but it looked beautiful on the clear, blue water.
Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius)
Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)
Around the campsite and extending towards the south were areas of sandy scrub that I spent some time exploring. There was a lot of noise around the bush showers and the culprit was a large group of finches, dropping down to drink from the drips.
Next up were a family of robins, flying around looking for food with the juvenile screaming for attention. I could also hear several groups of fairywren but I couldn't find them to photograph.
Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata)
I ventured out after dark and although I stayed within the campsite, there was still quite a bit of activity. Around the showers and check-in kiosk were several species of gecko but they were reluctant subjects. Moving on to the thicker bushes around the communal areas and I found this stunning katydid. I only knew it was not a grasshopper because katydids are generally a brighter green and nocturnal, unlike grasshoppers.
Spotted Predatory Katydid (Chlorobalius leucoviridis)
Long-nosed Dragon (Gowidon longirostris)
Mystery spider