Sunday, 21 May 2023

Skies, birds and beaches: a miscellany

 This covers a wide range of subjects seen from 19-21 May.  The sunsets recently have been quite colourful.



We have seen a Brown Stingray feeding in the shallows beside the Lagoon boardwalk a couple of times recently.  The fish is about 50cm across the 'wings' and the sting is about 60 cm long.
On my way to check the Osprey a flock of 16 Spoonbills were feeding in the Lagoon.
First glance at the Osprey (white lump on horizontal branch).
After a small amount of bush bashing to get to water level I got a rather better image.
Heading back home (on my bike) a Great Egret posed nicely.
In the afternoon we went to Pebbly Beach and were greeted by a White-faced Heron,
A large bank of black cloud looked threatening and gave a colourful setting.  Nothing came of it (at least not where we were).
The recent stormy seas have dislodged a lot of kelp.
A very good collection of pebble pagodas.  (Probably annoys Parks but (a) they aren't in the Park, so tough; and (b) Parks are too precious anyway.)
We devoted a little time to trying to work out why the rocks towards the see are jagged, brown sedimentary rock while the pebbles are (mainly) smooth, grey fine-grained specimens.  The smoothness is no doubt due to wave action but where have they come from?
Spot the Gannet!
Does this help?
On the 21st the weather was ungood.  Cold and blowing a gale for our morning walk and rain starting just as we got home.  After 1015 it seemed it stop so I went for a drive round the Airfield.  I scored a few birds, with Tree Martins the most exciting until I got out to the yellow phallic object.  There I found 2 Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters.  Here is one of them.
The Epacris was beginning to hit its stride!
I left by the woodland road in to the Gun Club.  Possibly a problemo?
To quote the Wee Nac MacFeegles "Nae problemo."
At the base of Mount Angophora a bunch of King Parrots were finding something to their liking.



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