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.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Carlo

A bout of flu and associated ills left me disinclined to do anything energetic! However, it was a beautiful sunny day and I decided to get in the car and drive around the bay to Carlo. This is a popular boat anchorage with quite extensive wharves, plenty of room for launching smaller boats, and a row of small businesses and restaurants along the waterside.

One of the businesses along the waterfront advertises house boats for rent and while I was there one motored out and set off north along the Strait.

This is also where the boats leave for off-shore fishing charters. Away in the distance are the boats anchored in deep water just outside Tin Can Bay.

There were lots of birds swooping around after insects. I assumed they were swallows of some kind but I find if difficult to get any sort of in-flight shots - and I simply did not have the energy to try this day. The only ones I saw that came down and perched within reach of my lens were these ones. A knowledgeable friend tells me that they look like Tree Martins and this is where she has photographed them before.

There are always Pelicans somewhere around and when I walked north along the foreshore I found quite a group of them up in that area. Then I discovered the attraction was a group of fishermen cleaning their catch at one of the fishing tables. The Pelicans might look half asleep floating out on the water but they can move fast enough when any scraps are tossed out.

For more scenery from around the world visit Our World Tuesday

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.