Inskip

This photo has nothing to do with the rest of the post! I just wanted to show all the northern hemisphere readers that it is spring time here. This is the Banksia rose growing outside my kitchen window!

Now back to the purpose of this post! The best place to go on an early high tide and clear weather has got to be the Inskip Peninsular. As I walk out on the sand I always look over to the sand island first to see how many shorebirds are roosting out there. The most obvious this time were the Pelicans.

At the end of the sand on the Point there was quite a large group of Terns.

As I got closer I could see a mixture of birds. Most were Crested Terns still looking rather "scruffy" as they change into breeding plumage. The large birds with the bright red/orange bills are Caspian Terns and in the foreground of the photo is one Gull-billed Tern still in breeding plumage - very white plumage with a full black cap.

There was quite a lot of early morning traffic going over to Fraser Island on the barge and the birds soon took to the air. Some flew off towards the sea and a few joined the other birds out on the island.

As I walked back along the point looking east the sun was making a beautiful silver path across the sea. I could see a couple of boats well out to sea on the horizon.

There was also a small fishing boat anchored in the channel close to land. I don't know if they were catching anything - or just hoping to like all enthusiastic fishermen!

Walking slowly back along the road to the parking area I was looking for small birds that are often in the bushes close to the road when I heard the distinctive call of a Beach Stone-Curlew (Esacus magnirostris) - or Beach Thick-knee as it is often called. It had been sitting down beside a large piece of driftwood and I hadn't seen it until it moved and started calling. I could hear another bird but did not see it. I assume this is the pair that have lived out at Inskip for a number of years.

This bird stood up - then shook its feathers out - then smoothed them into place again and set off along the sand away from me.

For more scenery from around the world visit Out World Tuesday

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.