Perfect Weather For Kayaking

Not every morning is perfect for kayaking and photographing birds but if you wait one is sure to come along! Last week I got one of those lucky ones - sunny, no wind, and a morning high tide - and no one else to be seen on the whole of the bay! As I was taking my kayak off the car I heard a dog barking out on the water. The dog was on a boat that had been in the same place for some time. I kayaked out to the bird roost and then saw that the boat was slowly moving down the bay.

When I looked at it closely I could see the dog standing out on the front. The boat looked to be very comfortably set up with a solar panel also on the front and an extra cover over the back to shield from too much sun. Because there was no wind the boat was being moved with a motor.

It looked very peaceful - but rather slow as was obvious when someone else in a ' tinny' with a good fast motor went passed.

All the usual shorebirds were at the roost but even though I was still quite a long way out on the bay they disturbed and flew. I paddled in a little closer and looked for any movement. Pretty soon I realized that there were Pacific Golden Plovers along the shoreline but these birds are really good at finding cover that hides them as long as they don't move. That red bill is a Pied Oystercatcher - also well hidden!

There were more birds a little further along standing on mangrove roots and here there were Grey-tailed Tattlers with them.

Another small group of birds was a little further along the beach. There were more Grey-tailed  Tattlers with the Pacific Golden Plovers and the birds were again using the vegetation to hide in rather than simply fly off.

One of the Pacific Golden Plovers was still showing a little bit of breeding plumage down the front.

For more scenery from around the world visit Our World Tuesday 

and for more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday.