Tuesday, January 1, 2013

A Beaut Day!

It's always nice when plans work out just as you want them to!  Christmas day went just as we had planned.  First we had an early morning kayak - then a delicious dinner with family and friends.
The tide was early with enough water over the flats to make it easy to kayak quite close to the shore.  Even with all the tourists in the area there was no-one at all on the bay - a stretch of miles with only ourselves there!  We decided to kayak to an area where we don't usually go.  There are lots of creeks and inlets which make interesting kayaking - but the only ones I usually visit are the ones where there are shorebirds roosting. 
After kayaking along the bay for just about 1.7 kms (nearly 1 mile) we reached the creek we wanted to kayak into.  It is surrounded by mangrove trees but the banks rise quite steeply in places and the forest comes down quite close.  Even out on the bay there was almost no wind and in on the creek the reflections were great.

There were some tall eucalyptus trees and some of these were dead with lots of interesting holes - perfect places for nests for birds and some of the climbing forest creatures.  In some places the trees had fallen and almost blocked the creek channel.


The only birds I managed to get photos of were these Sulphur-crested Cockatoos as they flew overhead.  These birds are so noisy that you hear them coming!

When I first came up here 9 years ago there were flocks of several hundred that flew over my house every morning.  However, the big pine trees where they used to feed and roost have now been cut down and there are not so many seen right around town.  Some of them still come into the pine trees in the empty block next to my house and sit up there and tear open the cones to get into the seeds.

For more photos from around the world visit Our World Tuesday
and for more bird photos visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

26 comments:

  1. A wonderful escape into Nature! kayaking looks like a delightful slow way to travel to enjoy the view!

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  2. What a beautiful place to go kayaking. I love the Cockatooes, very pretty shots. Happy New Years to you and your family, Mick!

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  3. such great birds to see in the wild. happy new year!

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  4. Kayaking for Christmas sounds wonderful. It looks very peaceful around the creek area. I have a feeling you will be doing more of this in the New Year. :)

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  5. Superb captures of so much beauty!! I do love the Cockatoos, Mick! Wishing you and your family a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!! I do appreciate your visits to my blog and your comments! Thank you!

    Sylvia

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  6. Wow ~ beautiful photography ~ love the cockatoo ~ must have been a wonderful trip kayaking ^_^

    Happy New Year ^_^

    (A Creative Harbor aka ArtMuseDog and Carol ^_^)

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  7. What a heavenly way to spend the day, mick!

    Happy new year to you.

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  8. What a great way to travel. I know what you mean about being able to hear the Sulphur Cresteds before you see them!

    Cheers and Happy New Year - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  9. Beautiful place!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  10. Nice pictures...happy new year...

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  11. That looks like a great type of adventure place. I can;t wait to travel one day. From Findlay

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  12. Oh what a fabulous day you had. Love that Cockatoo.

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  13. Christmas morning sounds perfect!

    Happy New Year.

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  14. The Cockatoos may be loud but they sure are beautiful birds.
    I love seeing them in their wild habitat rather than in a cage.

    Happy New Year, Mick.

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  15. I can't imagine seeing these birds in the wild! How sad that many of their natural eating and nesting sites are being removed... Happy New Year!

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  16. Those are wonderful photos! Happy New Year!

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  17. Beautiful image series showing - I always wish me a cockatoo, but thought that it is wrong to keep birds in captivity ...... Thank you showed the beautiful bird. Hanne Bente

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  18. I really like that idea Mick. Kayaking into the mangroves on a sunny Christmas morning - fantastic. Lovely cockatoo too. I wonder if you have to beware of crocs in those mangroves? Have a great New Year.

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  19. Lovely sceneries and beautiful birds in flight! Sorry that they cut down their trees!

    Thanks for your comment, glad my pictures could cool you down! *ha ha*
    Happy New Year to you!
    Greetings Pia

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  20. Kayaking on Christmas Day, what could be more perfect? Wonderful images.
    Happy New Year.

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  21. Kayaking and photographing birds seems like a great way to spend Christmas day! Lovely shots!

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  22. Happy New Year! Your mangrove swamps (at least that's what we'd call them I think) look just beautiful. So peaceful, a perfect way to celebrate Christmas morning. Of course if I were to see that bird in the wild I'd be over the moon...can only imagine it!

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  23. it seems to be such an interesting place to explore. The Cockatoos looks very nice.

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  24. I didn't know eucalyptus was a tree. I imagine the cavity dwellers/nesters would love those hollowed out. Thanks for sharing the beauty in your country.

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  25. The birds are great, I love the Cockatoos. I have only send them as pets it is hard to imagine them flying freely and really nice to see. I enjoyed my visit to your blog.

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