Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Perfect Weather For Kayaking

Not every morning is perfect for kayaking and photographing birds but if you wait one is sure to come along! Last week I got one of those lucky ones - sunny, no wind, and a morning high tide - and no one else to be seen on the whole of the bay! As I was taking my kayak off the car I heard a dog barking out on the water. The dog was on a boat that had been in the same place for some time. I kayaked out to the bird roost and then saw that the boat was slowly moving down the bay.

When I looked at it closely I could see the dog standing out on the front. The boat looked to be very comfortably set up with a solar panel also on the front and an extra cover over the back to shield from too much sun. Because there was no wind the boat was being moved with a motor.

It looked very peaceful - but rather slow as was obvious when someone else in a ' tinny' with a good fast motor went passed.

All the usual shorebirds were at the roost but even though I was still quite a long way out on the bay they disturbed and flew. I paddled in a little closer and looked for any movement. Pretty soon I realized that there were Pacific Golden Plovers along the shoreline but these birds are really good at finding cover that hides them as long as they don't move. That red bill is a Pied Oystercatcher - also well hidden!

There were more birds a little further along standing on mangrove roots and here there were Grey-tailed Tattlers with them.

Another small group of birds was a little further along the beach. There were more Grey-tailed  Tattlers with the Pacific Golden Plovers and the birds were again using the vegetation to hide in rather than simply fly off.
One of the Pacific Golden Plovers was still showing a little bit of breeding plumage down the front.

For more scenery from around the world visit Our World Tuesday 

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

23 comments:

  1. pretty shorebirds among those gnarled trees and roots.

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  2. Lovely birds and terrific captures as, Mick!! Thanks for sharing! Hop you have a great new week!!

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  3. Great shots of the Plovers and Tattlers.

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  4. Wow! What gorgeous water and nature photos ~ great that you were out in your kayak on such a lovely day!

    artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

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  5. You get such great shots from your kayak.

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  6. I love kayaking, silently slipping through the water and sneaking up on things. Those little blue crabs are quite cute with their knobby antennae on top.

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  7. What a fun time, kayaking while birdwatching..I love the Golden plovers and the Oystercatcher. The Grey-tailed Tattlers are cute birds too. Great photos and post. Enjoy your day!

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  8. Like you I am sat waiting for perfect birding and photography day but they don't arrive too often now it's winter. You made good use of this kayak trip as the plovers especially are in stunning condition and beautiful light.

    You make a good observation about their standing still making for good camouflage.

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  9. What a perfect day!!!! I LOVE that first shot. What a happy group on that boat, having a wonderful day, but I envy you in your kayak, up close and personal with those shore birds and the serenity of the waterway. Lovely!

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  10. Great shots and a wonderful place.

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  11. how nice to see the Golden plower :) And all vaders. I rarely see them at home.

    glad to hear you like my trip report. The main problem is not to cope with long days but to remember it all. You need a lot of pics. :)

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  12. Loved the Plovers but seeing the Tatlers was special.

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  13. A beautiful place. I love the shorebirds.

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  14. Really nice to see the Pacific Golden plover

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  15. The plovers are wonderful. The oystercatcher reminds me of those hidden picture puzzles little kids magazines used to have ...you'd never see him if it weren't for that red beak! So glad you got kayak weather. Great news!

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  16. What a beautiful day for kayaking. You got some wonderful shots.

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  17. Happy for you that it was good kayaking weather:) The birdies seem to enjoy life as well!

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    1. Thanks for commenting - and since both your comments came through and they were nearly the same I have just ok'd one.

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  18. What a great day to be out and about, Mick! The water and mangroves certainly look inviting. Brilliant photographs! Would love to see any of these birds.

    I'm headed to the other side of Florida this weekend to take advantage of a cold front moving south along the Atlantic coast in the hope it will push some pelagic and shorebird migrants in to the beach.

    Cheers! Have a great weekend!

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  19. Wonderful captures Mick! I'm still in awe at your kayak adventures! I'd love to own a kayak but alas, no money to buy one, no car to transport it and no spot nearby to kayak.
    I love seeing your images from your adventures! I hope you are well?

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  20. Great set of pictures. My plans to watch waders this weekend have been rather damaged by a blast of antarctic weather! I lost contact with my fingers this morning!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  21. Incredible photos.....great work...:)

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