Kalinga Park, Clayfield, Brisbane QLD.

Three and a half years ago, I had a rather spectacular mountain bike accident that came very close to killing me. My life has changed a lot since that fateful day. After a stint in hospital and eight months of intensive physio I've gradually found my feet and moved on with my life. I've had to give up some activities and modify others. I'm back on my bike but I've curtailed my penchant for downhill speed. I'm out and about bush walking again, having  progressed from crutches and braces, to two hiking poles, to one hiking pole and now I mostly walk unaided. It hasn't all been about giving things up. On the plus side I've improved my photography and I've delved into the realm of social media by starting this blog and opening a Facebook page and Instagram account. 

Over the last three years I have often found myself in Brisbane for specialist appointments. I'm an outdoor person so to fortify myself against the big smoke and nasty medical procedures I like to escape to the nearest green space when I can. One of our favourite places to while away time around appointments is Kalinga Park. We've explored it from Edinburgh Castle Road to Toombul several times. Kedron Brook Bikeway runs through the park and there are two or three toilet blocks and a couple of playgrounds. There is an amazing playground and a large parking area off Edinburgh Castle Road. 

As well as being sanity savers for humans, urban green spaces serve a valuable role as wildlife habitats and I thought I'd share some of the things we've seen while sitting quietly in Kalinga Park.

Rainbow Lorikeets inspecting a hole in a stump

Scaly Breasted Lorikeet

Pied Butcherbird, immature

Sometimes I can't move around so we just sit quietly at one of the picnic shelters off Diggers Drive and relax. There is a footbridge nearby which offers good views of the creek. Pacific Black Ducks and Eastern Water Dragons are a common sight. There are usually quite a few Grey-headed Flying Foxes in the trees lining the waters edge.

We had a pleasant surprise one day when a Pheasant Coucal cautiously appeared out of the long grass for a moment. 

When I had to go to the North West Private Hospital we often stopped for a while at Chermside Hill Reserve. On one occasion, we were standing on a small walk bridge over Little Cabbage Tree Creek and we heard the most unusual clicking and grunting noises. From our vantage point we could see a Pale-vented Bush-hen furtively walking below us on the creek edge. I was going in for plastic surgery on my face so I hadn't brought my camera and the only photos we have were taken on my mobile phone. With fortnightly checkups and three more tidy up surgeries I've been back a few times in the hope of getting a better photo but heavy rain and flooding has since damaged the area and we have not seen one again.