Rocks at Bastion Point

Frances checked the tide levels and they are as low as implied by the amount of beach visible at Quarry Beach on 1 September.  So we decided to go to Bastion Point on 2 September to explore the rock pools.

The tide was indeed very low.  The first photos are showing the fine stratification visible in the exposed rocks.

A lot of cunjevoi was also exposed.  Interestingly, unlike Congo (near Moruya NSW), this does not appear to be harvested for fishing bait - possibly because it is not usually exposed?

A couple of images of small rock pools.

A starfish in a small pool.  There were many of these around: the largest group I found was about 10 in a pool now more 50cm diameter.  I am unsure of the scientific names (Meridiastra seems to be a likely genus) but this site appears to have a good set of details and suggests that some of them at least were Meridiastra calcar.
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A brittle star hiding under a ledge.  Also in the Port Phillip website.

A very interesting sea anemeone:  I think it may be Oulactis muscosa.  

After getting kicked off the beach by a very grumpy guy associated with the dredge (which seems to be needed 50% of the time due to poor design of the boat ramp) we looked down on the rocks and saw two of the 'specials' of the local bird life.  An Eastern Reef Egret ...

and one of two Sooty Oystercatchers (the second was catching oysters behind the rocks in the background).

These birds can be surprisingly hard to spot given the lurid colour of the beak.