Early Morning

I went for a walk down at Mullens very early the other morning with a couple of friends. The tide was well out and the sand flats were exposed. As we walked we were facing into the sun and Sarah took this silhouette photo of my dog Misty. Misty is a Stumpy-tailed Blue Cattle dog and one of the smartest dogs I have ever had. She usually walks off leash and watches for birds for me to photograph. Then she comes back and stands behind me and nudges my leg until I get the camera up and take the photos.

There was quite a heavy dew on the grass and this looked so beautiful with the light glinting off the dew drops that I took a number of photos hoping to capture some of the magic of the light. One photo turned out OK!

There were very few shorebirds to see. It is after all winter here, and most shorebirds have migrated to the northern hemisphere where they breed. I could hear Brown Honeyeaters - but they come around my house and I can take my time photographing them there. I had stopped to try for a Fantail - but they are a study in constant movement and it eluded me. Sarah called my attention to this Rufous Whistler which was sitting high in a tree. It was almost out of range of my 300mm lens but I managed some photos although they were not as sharp as I would have liked. It apparently felt quite secure up there and decided to have a good preen before it flew off again.

Once I had stopped I realized that there were a number of other birds in the shade of the trees. This one had its back to me but that green color on its back is unmistakeable as a Cuckoo. It has been ID'd for me as a Shining Bronze Cuckoo. 

For more birds from around the world visit Wild Bird Wednesday.