Bula bula

No, we haven't been to Fiji  Instead we went to Pambula and then on to Merimbula.  We stopped in Pambula to acquire a Wild Rye steak and kidney pie for my lunch: excellent as always.

I ate this at a small wetland on the Southern side of the town.

The principal aim of visiting this site was to try to twitch 2 Magpie Geese which have been reported there in various fora for a few weeks (the first eBird record here is 9 June, but I think the birds were there a few days earlier than that).  On our last visit we failed totally to find them, and I thought today was going to be a repeat.  But still an interesting place to inhale a good pie.  Then a Swamp Harrier flew over the reeds and about 30 Pacific Black Duck flew out on to the open water.  And there were the Magpie Geese!

The usual range of the species is hinted at in this image from eBird.  The records nearest to Canberra are a captive group at Tidbinbilla, and thus not really countable, but apparently wild ones have been see a few times near Lake George.

So that was all very satisfactory.  On to Merimbula.  Before getting to retail therapy, we went to visit the old wharf area as it was listed in a tourist brochure as having some interesting geology.  (The geology of the general area is explained in this excellent post.)The key rocks are red Devonian mudstone.

A close up of the rocks and one of the very few birds seen here.

This large rock on the inland side of the wharf shows the discontinuity between the mudstone and a lighter coloured sandstone.

Looking back at the bar.

Although the ocean was rather flat a few surfers found something to ride!