Sluething along the Serpentime (Apr)

I had a little time to kill while waiting for my wife to do some shopping so I headed over to the Serpentine to a small park I had driven past but not had a wander around before. The tide was out. Not too much activity, but what there was presented enough interest and entertainment to fill my waiting period 😁.

First up was a striated heron, quite unusually out in the open though still very well camouflaged among the reeds on the mudflat! Initially, the nearby australian white ibis was stalking the nearby sand bar among the soldier crabs and then crossed over to the reedy mudflat to graze in closer proximty to the striated heron. The third photo of this initial set shows to striated heron alone among the reeds - easier to spot once you are aware of what you looking at 😆.

Then a very lonely looking sacred kingfisher was spotted on the sandbar - its looks like a desolate environment to be searching for a morsel but it did peruse in stillness for quite some time!

Back to the park now, and while walking along the path to the nearby residential streets the antics of a magpie family demanded my attention. First, the young one showed off  the reward of a successful hunt; second, the parents watching from nearby looking rather proud that their tutelege had paid off this time! To complete this set there are nice clear portraits of one of the parents and then the young magpie not too far from the edge of the path. Handsome birds with their strong pointed beak - we are right to not want to be pecked by one of those!

Once the path reaches to top of an incline to meet those residential streets I caught this "bat-like" activity of some rainbow lorikeets, and not to be out done, a noisy miner as well! They all look very at ease hanging so acrobaticly from their various perches - certainly if not for the distinctive plumages, it is not hard to imagine a bat reposing like that 😏. The afternoon light and the upside down poses offer quite a different tinge to the rainbow colours than normally seen.

Back down the path and a final look along the water/sandbar edge before the carpark offered two more glimpses worth sharing. 

First up, the striated heron was still exploring and this time on the nearer edge of the reedy mudbank. This set offers a chance to see three different profiles highlighting the potential to extend its neck, and also the ability to take quite rapid and long strides with apparent little disruption to the water surface.

Second glimpse was a close-up showing off some "opposing" battalions of soldier crabs (sure ... not birds I know, but I tried to capture the formations as they were moving about the mudflats squaring off for whatever their battles may have been).

And finally for this post is this cute photo of our lone(ly) remaining chook who seems to have decided to follow the lead of one of the ornamental bluebirds on our BBQ table in the outdoor area. Quite the companions! Like they say (???) art imitates life, though with our chook I think it may be the other way round!