Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Inskip

This photo has nothing to do with the rest of the post! I just wanted to show all the northern hemisphere readers that it is spring time here. This is the Banksia rose growing outside my kitchen window!
Now back to the purpose of this post! The best place to go on an early high tide and clear weather has got to be the Inskip Peninsular. As I walk out on the sand I always look over to the sand island first to see how many shorebirds are roosting out there. The most obvious this time were the Pelicans.

At the end of the sand on the Point there was quite a large group of Terns.

As I got closer I could see a mixture of birds. Most were Crested Terns still looking rather "scruffy" as they change into breeding plumage. The large birds with the bright red/orange bills are Caspian Terns and in the foreground of the photo is one Gull-billed Tern still in breeding plumage - very white plumage with a full black cap.

There was quite a lot of early morning traffic going over to Fraser Island on the barge and the birds soon took to the air. Some flew off towards the sea and a few joined the other birds out on the island.

As I walked back along the point looking east the sun was making a beautiful silver path across the sea. I could see a couple of boats well out to sea on the horizon.

There was also a small fishing boat anchored in the channel close to land. I don't know if they were catching anything - or just hoping to like all enthusiastic fishermen!

Walking slowly back along the road to the parking area I was looking for small birds that are often in the bushes close to the road when I heard the distinctive call of a Beach Stone-Curlew (Esacus magnirostris) - or Beach Thick-knee as it is often called. It had been sitting down beside a large piece of driftwood and I hadn't seen it until it moved and started calling. I could hear another bird but did not see it. I assume this is the pair that have lived out at Inskip for a number of years.

This bird stood up - then shook its feathers out - then smoothed them into place again and set off along the sand away from me.

For more scenery from around the world visit Out World Tuesday

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

29 comments:

  1. just saw one of these on an indian blog today! very cool. love your shorebirds and your beautiful spring blooms!

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  2. Beautiful , beautiful photos!:) Flowers, birds, sea...Love all of them!:)

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  3. Similarly Mick, those Terns on the beach would be more than welcome here in the UK. Any one of them, on its own even. Great shots, and love the Stone Curlews.

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  4. Fantastic captures for the day as always, Mick!! I do love your birds and the flowers outside your window are delightful!! Have a great week!

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  5. Lovely bird photos! And I like the start of your post. Here in Norway the trees are getting yellow and red and brown, the temperature is falling and the rain sets in... But that's ok, I love this time of the year! I wish you a happy spring and summer - hoping it will be as good as mine has been!

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  6. Your world of Spring is beautiful and gorgeous photography!

    artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

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  7. Stunning shots, Mick. I loved the colony of pelicans. How amazing and exotic! And I am just a little bit envious of all you lovely folk down under heading into your glorious spring. Up here in the Northern Hemisphere I'm bracing myself for the cold and the shortening of the days, which I find particularly gloomy. All the best, Bonny

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  8. We are enjoying bright blue skies and very warm days here in London this week so Autumn and Winterstill seem a long way off. I love the photos of the pelicans.

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  9. Beautiful Banksia rose, lovely to have outside of your window. Your images show such a beautiful day at a beautiful place.

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  10. Looks like from same family of stone plover.
    Great series.

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  11. Wonderful images. It is great to look at those birds,

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  12. I love your huddle of terns ... all the best of friends and most probably squawking away. Your Banksia Lutea is gorgeous .... such a pretty colour and apparently it's thornless ... that's a bonus!

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  13. Gorgeous shots! And those spring flowers are just lovely.

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  14. Enjoy your Spring Miack, and yes, it's well into Autumn and Winter next stop for me. All those Caspian Terns - amazing. Tou took two lovely seascapes and your Beach Thick-knee photos are just brill - it's one chunky bird for sure.

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  15. Inskip sure is a great place for birds.

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  16. Fantastic images... I would love to be there one day.

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  17. It's so beautiful there. I love the terns.

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  18. We have Caspian Terns and gull-billed terns, I wonder if they are the same? Happy Spring!

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  19. Stunning photos, the Curlew is great.

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  20. am loving your photos. here in NZ terns are endangered, they have nesting spots on the sand dunes where I live and the dept of conservation have had to ban wild cats, dogs, quad bikes etc.

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  21. Great to see the beach stone-curlew! I'll be looking forward to see some shorebird arrivals on these pages soon!
    By the way - just did a little read and the very similar looking "Stone plover" in India (seen on a blog you also have visited today!) is a different species.

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  22. Beautiful shots of the birds and scenery. Your rose looks lovely,

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  23. Glad you included the rose; how lovely Spring is. The silver shine on the water is beautiful... magical actually. And the shore birds are wonderful. That 'thick-kneed' guy is new to me (even virtually); what an interesting bird he is. Fun tto know the pair has made their home their for several years.

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  24. I didn't know there was such a rose--how pretty! Your photos are simply delightful. I find terns quite photogenic but don't see many.

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  25. Truly epic birds you have here. I especially love the terns and curlew. Quite the finds!

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  26. Nice shots - there has bee a Beach Stone Curlew in Victoria for a while - which is unusual, but I have not been able to go and see it - which is not unusual!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  27. Very interesting and beautiful photos....Loved it....:)

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