Mullens in the Morning

Yesterday morning the weather was perfect - no wind, sunshine and blue skies. I decided to walk along the foreshore to the Mullens roost. When I first arrived down there the mist was still hanging over the hills on the far side of the bay. As I walked along I noticed that a yacht that had been anchored immediately off from the picnic area was slowly moving down the creek and then along the far side of the bay. This photo is taken a month ago from the picnic area while the boat was at anchor.

This photo is taken the other morning as it moved slowly down the far side of the bay.

The tide was fairly high inside the bay where the roost area is. As I walked out on the sand flats that were still exposed I wondered how well my dog would act. It has been several months since we walked down this way and even longer since we came down here looking for shorebirds. However, without any prompting from me she walked carefully behind me and stayed tucked in just behind my legs as long as I was taking photos. We were there for a little more than half an hour and she hardly moved during that time. She is the smartest dog I have ever had!
The water looks beautiful but despite that lovely blue color it is only a few inches deep and even in the middle is only about waist deep.This is habitat that the birds love!

Most of the shorebirds have already left for the northern hemisphere and their breeding grounds. When I first walked onto the roost I couldn't see any birds at all but then I saw some fluttering above a sand bank far over on the left. When I got closer I saw that most of the movement was being caused by little Red-capped Plovers. They always seem to be moving along the ground or fluttering just above it for a few wing beats. There were also a few Red-necked Stints among them. These are our smallest migratory shorebirds.

There were a few ripples in this water ...

...but in this picture the water is so still that even the eye of the bird on the left is perfectly clear in the reflection.

These Red-necked Stints are not showing any breeding plumage so must be young birds that will spend the winter here.

I always think these tiny birds are so cute - and even more so when they stand and have a good scratch for my camera!

In the early morning like this the light strikes up from even tiny ripples and creates lovely patterns of light and shade on whatever is above it. I spent quite a long time photographing plants and trees overhanging the water and hoping to catch some of these light reflections - but the only place I caught these reflections was on the front of this bird and reflected in the water below it. I think to catch these patterns of light and shade on the bushes I would need to use the video - and keep it very still as well!

For more scenery from around the would visit Our World Tuesday 

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.