The safari’s late night venture around Patch 1 was rewarded with the sounds of a skein of Pink Footed Geese going over followed a few minutes later by a flock of Golden Plovers calling overhead. Patch tick…totally unexpected - nice one!
Then, round the corner we had a nose to nose encounter with the Fox. One of the neighbours leaves a tray of food out for him, and/or the local cats, and there he was hiding in the bushes not five feet away probably waiting until we had passed so he could venture out to the tray. We stopped and we had a good look at each other until Frank made a lunge then he was off like a shot. Saw it, or another, on Patch 1 again this morning in the pre-dawn darkness.
Patch 2 also provided a pleasant surprise before work. The beach was relatively empty but six Ringed Plovers were new in and making the most of any goodies along one of the strandlines.
Lunchtime saw some Common Scoters close in behind the surf. So we grabbed the camera and headed off across the sand. The results weren’t brilliant in the gloomy gloom.
Then, round the corner we had a nose to nose encounter with the Fox. One of the neighbours leaves a tray of food out for him, and/or the local cats, and there he was hiding in the bushes not five feet away probably waiting until we had passed so he could venture out to the tray. We stopped and we had a good look at each other until Frank made a lunge then he was off like a shot. Saw it, or another, on Patch 1 again this morning in the pre-dawn darkness.
Patch 2 also provided a pleasant surprise before work. The beach was relatively empty but six Ringed Plovers were new in and making the most of any goodies along one of the strandlines.
Lunchtime saw some Common Scoters close in behind the surf. So we grabbed the camera and headed off across the sand. The results weren’t brilliant in the gloomy gloom.
Further down the beach were some Oystercatchers mooching about, some bathing, some feeding and some having a well earned rest. We snuck up on them using the old storm water pipe as a bit of cover. Again the results aren’t brilliant but it was hardly daylight out there this arvo.
Guess what…I flushed them.
One of them must have found an extra tasty Mussel as you can see it being carried off. 
Obviously it didn’t want to lose it.Where to next? Anywhere with some daylight will do.
In the meantime let us know what’s ‘a roamin in the gloamin’ in your outback.
3 comments:
it was a gloomy one today dave! Well done with the patch tick - things are looking up there!
Congrats on the patch tick! Those oystercatchers are beautiful. They look more like the American oystercatcher, as opposed to the black oystercatcher I regularly see, which, as suggested by their name, is all black.
Hey again - I just saw on Warren's blog that you're heading to Florida. Once you make your trip you'll have to give me some pointers! I've never been to that part of the country and would like to go some day, especially to see the birds and marine mammals.
Post a Comment