A Big Weekend in Mallacoota

 As is traditional with Big Weekends, this one starts on Thursday.  That is mainly because it was ANZAC Day: given the Victorian Governments love of adding Public Holidays at the drop of a Union endorsement, I am surprised that 26 April wasn't so declared.  Surely Flathead Capture Day would be worth celebrating?  At least as good as Melbourne Cup Day or -for 💩's sake - Grand Final Eve!

The Mallacoota Pony Club is filling the void left by the RSL running out of members by arranging a ride to the Bunker Museum.  I think they had 22 riders of various ages and sexes on equines of various sizes.  Very well done that Pony Club!

Thelwell eat your heart out!

A fair squad of folks (and dogs) walked behind the hosses from Betka.

While a bunch of others had driven to the Bunker.

The next day I was returning from Bastion Point and had to swerve on Betka Rd to avoid an unruly, and somewhat portly, pedestrian.  She - I think - was very obliging in posing.

Eventually she declared that tree inadequate, and headed off across Bastion Point Rd showing a fair turn of speed ....

... and then headed for the hills.

The sea harvest event is on this weekend so lanterns have been positioned in Coulls Inlet.  They will be illuminated for the next few nights.

Here are the lanterns by night!

Birds, Skies and a few other things

 My latest photos.

A Scarlet Honeyeater feeding in the canopy of a tree at the Log Cabins.

A better (than my last effort) photo of the Nankeen Night-Heron at Bucklands.

A demented cyclist comes up Angophora Drive.

The low bridge at the start of the Chip Track is getting close to going under.  I think the remaining height of the bar is such that the River will break out before the bridge is submerged.

The lagoon on the ocean side of the bridge is (as would be expected) full.

After crossing a couple of sandhills the Track has been overwhelmed for about 200m.  A side track to the ocean is still possible but if coming from Betka along the River you will get wet feet.

Acacia longifolia is in good flower.

Hoodie breeding seems to have started.

A size comparison of the Hoodies and Crested Terns.

A flagged Australian Pied Oystercatcher on Davis Beach.  It has been seen several times in the area and was first flagged at Corner Inlet (about 330 km SW) in 2013.

The Royal Spoonbills were gathered in front of the wharf in the late afternoon of 25 August.

A bad hair feather day.

If anyone would care to comment on the topology of this Pelican ....

The clouds in the evening of the 25th looked as though they were going to be interesting...

... and they were in a cirrussy understated way.

Getting back home on our morning walk on 26th a Crimson Rosella found a good seat on a Gymea Lily.

A few more Lilies

A closeup of ....another Lily!

Mid-morning of the 26th and the Lapwing adults chucked a major wobbly as a small raptor flew over what they regard as their territory.  I recalled Jeff Davies commenting that a Hobby used the TV tower as a lookout point and there it was.  Not a great photo but it supports the ID, and it was about 350m away horizontally and perhaps 60m vertically.

Later in the day, reflecting the warmth, our Blue-tongued Lizards emerged from their refuge for the first time this season.  As far as we are aware.

Betka

 There seems to be a fair bit of anticipation about when the Betka River will breakout.  I wandered down this morning about 10am and although I got wet feet as a wave broke over the bar at the Western side of the estuary, I didn't there was enough action to break out before the evening tide today.  

This snip from Google Earth overs the current situation, to the best of my ability.  The waterlines are marked in light blue and my approach in green.

The waves were washing well up the beach at the Western end.  

A look at the bar facing East(ish).

Looking West (again -ish)

This surge is the one that dampened me.

Other visitors were sensible and took their shoes off!

My impression is that when folk try to assist the opening it tends to create a situation which only lets the top layer of water out.  That is where the oxygen is, and when it goes, fish kills occur.  Hopefully a natural opening will not have that effect.

Birds of the Airport and nearby

 On a Sunday morning I often go for a drive around most of the way around the airport.  Sometimes this can be brilliant, at others hopeless - I have spent 40 minutes there, with another birder, and not seen a single winged thing!

Today was about average.  The route is illustrated here.

At point 1 life got a little interesting with a flock of Little Ravens.  I got the count up to 38 birds (a tad difficult to be precise as they were quite active, but there were at least that many).  As well as the large flock size the "cut-off" call was very evident.

An immature Spotted Harrier (thanks to 2 Facebook followers for that ID from following photographs) took off from the heathy area.

It then perched on a fence post at site 2 with 2 Ravens for size comparison.

A portrait.

A short flight, quartering the ground (Harrier Pottering is the official joke)  and it perched obligingly at point 3.  This gives a reasonable impression of the owlish facial appearance.

After a brief prowl in the grounds of the Bunker (4 Gang-gangs, yay) I called in at Betka Beach to check on the Hoodies.  The water is still rising but it looks as though they are still incubating.  (The sitting bird is in front of the mounds of vegetation.)