Doings on 6 August

This post will cover a wide range of things seen and done on 6 August 2023.  The day started with a visit to the Wharf  to see the pigeons being released.  On arrival yet another family of Masked Lapwings were present.  By Lapwing standards they were quite laid back.

Here are the trucks carrying the pigeons - 3275 birds.

The cloud was beginning to break up.

Some closer views of the truck and the pigeons.

I am far from clear on the procedures involved in this event.  I think this bloke was releasing some catches on each box.

Then shutters were dropped.

The next several images are of the flock heading off.

The birds didn't seem to do as much circling as I have often seen.  Basically across the wharf and off to the North.

The results are listed in velocity order but I can't work out how that is calculated.  The first bird seems to have got back to its loft taking 4:00:46 to cover 399kms: thus an average of just under 100kph.  The winner covered 422.627 kms in 4:07:49, averaging 102.324kph.

My next job was helping the Friends with cleaning up Genoa Rd.  This was a cleverly thought out operation with a random draw for stretches of road.  People operated in pairs and was with Bob Fisher on the 7th section,  Markers had been put out  and each stretch was about 1.5kms with one of each pair starting at the ends and walking towards each other, transferring car keys in the middle.  It was important to walk facing the traffic: our stretch was narrow with more than a few blind bends.

The most exciting bit for me was crossing Double Creek, with a large school of fish visible.  Some were Luderick while others were Mullet.

iNaturalist has been consulted about this one!

The end is nigh! Bob's car is in the distance, although the one visible is the organisers with trailer.

Bob found he had hit the jackpot: he'd filled both his bags but still many Carlton Draft stubbies at the foot of the bank.  We went back to get the rest.

In addition to those Bob had fitted in the bags he schlepped we filled three shopping bags with bottles.  The more I think about this the more puzzled I am: if they had been two slabs of empties that fell off a ute we should have found the carton.

Next job was removing some dead growth from a Leptospermum in the front lawn.  Chainsaws are Good!  I got a barrow full of firewood (for next year) out of this.

I'm in there somewhere!

Then we went for a walk to the marsh from Fisheries Jetty.  These Caspian Terns were bird of the day.

On thinking about it, I suspect the fish is a small Flathead.

If Grebes pose they get photographed.