It's not often you see the terms "family holiday" and "pellagic cruise" together unless you are saying something like:
"Pete and Kath's relationship never really recovered from the infamous pellagic-cruise family-holiday incident"
White-capped albatross (or Shy albatross depending on which guide you are using), 15 April 2014
There are cruises run from Adventure Bay on Tasmania's Bruny Island by Pennicott Wilderness Journeys marketing spectacular scenery and the exhilaration of moving in powerful boats close to blow holes and sea tunnels. The opportunity to see wildlife such as seals, dolphins, whales and, yes, birds is also advertised.
On our stay at Bruny with our double-family group of nine (a few proclaiming definite sea sickness tendencies) I knew that the possibility of orchestrating a boat trip in the open sea were not great. This was April this year.
Well the pictures tell the story of a calm, mostly sunny day and an exhilarating and memorable trip! Entertaining guides (perhaps a little crazy!), no sea-sickness and an exciting boat ride had everyone happy.
Buller's albatross
One of each of the albatross species with a Silver gull for good measure
Crested tern
One of the roosting Black-faced cormorants shown above
Sooty oystercatcher
Great cormorant
Seal colony at The Friars
What are the chances of another moment in my life that I may photograph a dolphin and albatross in the same shot?
If you're curious to know more here's a 2 minute home movie with our experience of the cruise (you'll find many more on youtube including some professionally shot films commissioned by the company -this and more at the Pennicott Wilderness Journeys website)
Well all is in readiness for another Silver gull breeding season at The Nobbies on Phillip Island. Last weekend birds looked to be making all the preparations for nesting with some pairs giving the impression they were brooding eggs - no chicks at this stage.
Sorting out territory or who belongs to who, Silver gulls Larus novaehollandiae
Gathering nesting material. The gulls make nests of plant matter in areas of low vegetation.
"Now how does this work?"
Many birds could be seen in obvious pairs, one bird often appearing to be nesting
Some apparently nesting birds seemed to adopt this posture crossing their folded wings
The Nobbies typically hosts around 1000+ nesting seagull pairs at this time of year
These days the nesting area is shared with young families of resurgent Cape Barren Geese
An extremely adaptive bird (perhaps less so than some humans unable to understand the "Best you don't feed the gulls" sign!)
This Common Copperhead snake is a regular sighting from The Nobbies boardwalks
I recently saw some shared pictures showing birders in extreme positions not unlike these borrowed ones shown below (they are links to their own webpages if you wish to pursue).
I can't recall getting that low very often (and I'm sure any fair dinkum birding photographer is now saying "well you haven't been serious then!"). Last weekend while I was walking from Silverleaves Beach to Observation Point, it occurred to me to give it a try.
On the way out (pretty much standing up if i recall correctly). These guys were in an area where I usually see Red-capped plovers but I'm wondering if they are Double-banded plovers.
Red-capped plover
Hooded plovers - I'm now lying down. I wasn't very patient 'cos it was windy and freezing!
Red-capped plover. I was struck by how much easier it was to have the subject focussed when lying down.
Again, I wasn't patient but I imagine that by commando wriggling it would be possible to get closer than you might think was possible standing up!
It even makes a visiting silver gull look good!
I haven't seen Australian shelduck around this beach before (these two just passing through really)
I always enjoy Pacific gulls flying effortlessly into the stiff (read "bitterly cold") breeze.
Silverleaves Beach at dawn, tide well on the way in.
Typical beach scenes as the tide breaches some of the mini sand bars.
