Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Beach Life

Rainbow Beach is the closest sea-side beach to where I live. Although it is only two or three
kilometers from the Straits and all the bay side waterways it is totally different.
I had worn a warm track suite that morning because there was a brisk wind blowing. However, as soon as I stepped out of the car I began to feel over-dressed. Other people around me were wearing bright shorts and shirts. Then I took a second look and these same people also had significantly paler skin! Tourists! Possibly southerners that are not used to Queensland weather!
As soon as I stepped down onto the beach I noticed a group riding horses along the beach. I don't know if this is a tourist thing also or if it is one of the local pony clubs.

Down close to the water the LifeGuards had a bright canvas shelter.

There were a couple of fellows just taking out a "rubber ducky" through the surf. (Rubber ducky is the name commonly given to the small boat the lifeguards use for rescues in the surf.) I'm sure this must have been for rescue practice but it looked like lots of fun!

There were dozens of birds swooping through the air just behind the beach sand hills . There must have been considerable numbers of insects to be caught but I soon decided I had no chance of catching the action on-wing. I assumed they were swallows of some kind but when one finally came in for a rest on a log barrier at the edge of the car park I saw it was a Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys). These little birds are very common and I have had one recently calling outside my house at daybreak.

For more scenery from around our world visit Our World Tuesday 

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.

17 comments:

  1. Looks like a nice day at Rainbow and not much surf.I wonder if the person with the metal detector found anything.

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  2. i like the wagtail's frowny eyebrow. :) lovely beach scenes.

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  3. Such a pretty little bird in his black and white . Glad you got out on the beach. In December and January in Florida we sometimes have a few cooler days, 50 degrees F or even less and if you go to the beach you see tourists in shorts and swim suits. It's like they came on a vacation to the beach by golly and that means wearing very few clothes no matter what. It makes us laugh.

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  4. It's quite clever how you can separate tourists and locals. We do that when on holiday in Spain when the locals seem dressed for winter and tourists in T shirts and shorts. I put a name to Willie Wagtail before i read your text. I must be getting good at your birds?

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  5. I liked seeing what happens at your beach, where I use to live up north our local surf beach also had life guards so I miss scenery and happenings like this.

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  6. How wonderful to be able to ride on the beach :) Lovely shots of beachlife :)

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  7. Hello, I like the shot of horses on the beach, beautiful beach scenes. the Willie Wagtail is pretty. Happy Tuesday, have a great day!

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  8. Gorgeous scenic photos ~ love the horses on the beach ~ thanks for visiting ^_^

    Wishing you a Happy Week ^_^

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  9. Hello!:) Wonderful beach scenes, it's unusual for me to see horse riding on the beach. Your Willi Wagtail is a striking little bird. Have a good week!:)

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  10. Love the water photos with the sun sparkling on the water.

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  11. Lovely beach scenes and I always love the Wilie Wagtails.

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  12. Down here the tourists are the ones wearing jacket, scarf and hat on a beautiful sunny day :-)

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  13. I wonder who cleans up after the horses......

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  14. lovely surf beach, reminds me of my old home town..

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  15. Funny how you can tell tourists by the dress sense - when I was in Darwin last week, the people who were wearing coats were locals!

    Cheers - Stewart M - Just back in Melbourne!

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  16. That's a great looking beach! I'm with you, that rubber duckie looks like fun in the surf. Quite a change from the quiet mangroves.
    The tourists are often more entertaining (and colorful) than the bird life!

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