A coastal walk

A walk I have wanted to take for quite some time. Seemed like the day. Lennox Headland to Skennars Haedland return. As well as the "coastal track" there is now also a more formal walk and bike path interwoven along the way. Absolutley gorgeous and certainly something to savour if you get the opportunity. This is a smaller section of the wonderful Ballina to Lennox coastal path. 

See for yourself 😀 ... this is taken from near Pat Morton lookout (Lennox Headland end) looking south across Boulder Beach to Skennar's Headland. Up there, I reckon, challenging most coastal scenic walking routes anywhere you like.

Of course, my main hope was to sight some birds! Some success ... 

I'm sure early in the morning or later in the afternoon there would be even more, but you go when you can go ... on the north side of the stairs heading to the lookout at Lennox Headland a couple of brush turkeys were busy building their nest. The first photo below shows one deep in shadow down a "hole" in the centre of the mound while the larger turkey (bigger yellow necklace) is building from the edge. The second photo is included to highlight just how large that yellow necklace was!

A little further down the path from where the first photo of the post was taken, the ground was alive with Richard's pipits (apparently now the more correct name is Australian pipit). This triology shares two contrasting profiles and one in full voice. They hop, and stop, and look about and hop off again and if you get too close, well they take to the wing for a short flight to safety.

Walking along the path among the boulders there were several rainbow bee-eaters soaring through their acrobatic flights and resting in between on the casuarina branches on the beach front. Quite the "playground" location here! This trilogy shares a single one at rest; the next two, a resting pair, but with the "top" one showing off its prey being devoured from the prior flight. Of course, their gorgeous shimmering plummage is on full display too!

Standing with prominence on a large piece of driftwood among the beach rocks beside the beach was this white-faced heron displaying some breeding plummage. The plummage offers a hint of maroon among the grey.

At the end of the beach, deep in a bush shelter, there was this female superb fairy wren letting TWO male suitors know who was in control 😁.

Just a little further along, among beachside banksia seed pods, was this Lewin's honeyeater just finished a good feather shake.

Over on Skennar's Headland there were loads of fairy wrens about. The first two photos below are red-backed fairy wrens - the male, mid-call, clearly reflecting the name; the female a little ruffled as it emerged from the grass for some fresh air and light. The final three of this set are Superb fairy wrens - a pair of females, a single female and a male displaying the striking blue hues.

 

On the return journey, another rainbow bee-eater was spotted, and a welcome swallow being cute on the post rail of one of the bridges across some swampy ground.

Finally, feasting among the purple thistle flowers were some honey bees laden with pollen.

Some spring encounters

One day I was taking a slow drive along Old Bangalow Rd (along Emigrant Creek) on my way home from Ballina. It is a detour I have written about before and one I take regularly ... just in case. This day I was rewarded twofold. The first two photos show a buff-banded rail I spotted in a roadside "supermarket". It was unusually co-operative and did not take off allowing me a good opportunity to get these photos.

Getting back in the car, I noticed a splash of colour against the bare paperbarks in the swamp on the opposite side of the road to above. Sure enough, perched high on a branch scanning the swampy puddles was a sacred kingfisher. A good illustration how easy it is to look but not always see 😁.

The remaining photos in this post were taken on a day we took my wife's dad for a drive to Ballina. We had some fish and chips beside Shaws Bay for lunch and curiosity got the better of this magpie lark (pee wee) as it sought any stray or dropped chips. Nice eyes (no chips)!

Our final stop was for a walk out the wall near the Marine Rescue tower. Some female superb fairy wrens were especially co-operative, some in outstanding settings showing off their delicate finery. I also managed to photograph a  blue/black butterfly while alighted on a bush, and a very confident young water dragon surveying it's environment.

Around the boat harbour

A small boat harbour in Ballina often provides a good range of birdlife to observe. Recent times have demonstrated this amply. The photos in this post were taken over several days across October and November.

I had been for a short walk and noticed these pied oystercatchers near the entrance to the harbour. I ducked over to the car to grab my camera and slowly moved to get close for some photos. I have found these birds quite shy and skittish, hence the slow approach. You will notice in the first photo the birds are quite relaxed ... head tucked along the back and a posture on one leg. The approach was working. I had snapped several photos and noticed a few nearby office workers doing some civic duty and scouring the area picking up rubbish - to be admired 👍. Two of them wandered right by me, oblivious to my careful approach and even more oblivious to the birds, very focussed on their own task - not to be admired 😕. I managed to get the second photo shared here just before the disturbed birds took flight ... and one of the well-meaning office workers who was now between me and the birds looked up, turned, and said to me "oh, did I disturb the birds?" I will leave it at that ... can't win em all!!

After wandering away still processing what I described above and holding in frustrations (the "can't win em all" was FAR from what I was thinking), it was fortunate to find another focus very quickly. There was a black cormorant perched on the roof of a houseboat moored in the harbour. The next two photos show off the range of "black" and patterns in the plummage as well as the distinctive ice-blue eyes. The second photo was just as it was about to alight (not what else you might imagine was happening with that squat pose 😋). The third photo of the set shows it on a mooring post after it did a few circles before landing again ... a curious gaze at the photographer STILL there 😊. Slightly different light and perspective showing the darker and non-patterned breast feathers. The final photo of the set shows one coasting along after surfacing between dives in the river. Always make it look so effortless!

On the far side of the harbour (east) to where I began, there are often welcome swallows swooping around seeking bugs for dinner between resting on the powerlines or near puddles on the ground in the carpark. This particular day I was fortunate to find a very favourable viewing spot down between two moored craft. I was able to photograph this one preening in the sunlight. The first two specifically show the preening "in action", the second two show the result and smart look the preening produced - no different to us really😊!

The final very special treat to share with you this post is a "find" in a bush near this same boat harbour. I had noticed a pair of willy wagtails being very active and in and out of this bush. An inspection located the nest 😁. Keeping a respectful distance, I share this shot of mum (or dad?) on the nest. One can only imagine the time and effort and skill required to make such a strong and delicate vessel to foster new life.

I checked the nest once a week over the next two weeks, and the next two shots (from different angles) show some very mature fledglings just about ready to leave that nest at the end of my second week of monitoring. No pesky litter collectors to disturb this moment 👌!