Not so much 'soft morning light' about...rather a dreary morn', but I had a good time getting some nice close views of Great Knot, Red Knot, Pacific Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Red-necked Stint and Common Greenshank. One Red Knot that was looking a little 'coloured up' eluded me...as I fixed the scope on it, it took off for some more space further north along the shore - dang! So, as the rain set in I finally found my 3 Pacific Golden Plover's, all hanging around on the southern shore adjacent to the small mangroves (just north of the carpark/toilets etc.) I've really got a soft-spot for these birds, having only recently seen them for the first time, I'm really taken by their fine features and luminous colouring...a little more 'sexy' when compared to the Grey Plover. It took ages to get a decent image, they kept a buffer whenever I approached too close but they never flew too far away. Sadly, the wind had picked up a little and the wind, combined with the poor light, left me with images that don't really do the birds justice....bit of a bummer really! At least I hope they'll be around for a little while yet!
The most surprising find of the day was a Black Falcon just to the south of the Dublin Oval (not far from where the old BMX track once was...) I stopped about 50-70 metres from it to get a photo but it flushed as soon as I opened the car door. This was a 'lifer' for me, I've been waiting to see one for a long while and have read recent reports (Chris Steeles??) of a few birds on the plains surrounding Hamley Bridge/Owen. I once had a brief view of one as I was driving between Amata and Ernabella on the APY Lands...but it got away from me before I could get onto it and work out if it was really a Blackie or just a juv. Brown Falcon....though the juv. Brown's are a pretty messy looking bird by comparison! Despite being 99% sure at the time, I didn't feel that it was a 'tickable' view. Other raptors were also out in good numbers scattered along the road in to Thompson's - 5 Brown Falcon (3 adults and 2 juv. birds) and 4 Nankeen Kestrel.
The second surprise was a big mob of Blue Bonnet's down at Parham. I knew that they could be found here, but in my previous visits I have not seen any here. They were well spread throughout the northern end of town, sitting in trees and on powerlines, even keeping company with such lowly birds as Starling and Feral Pigeons! They were pretty flighty and by the time I had arrived the rain was really coming down, suffice to say I got a few shots but they were pretty ordinary. All up I counted 19 of them and as I drove north to scout for Elegant's I flushed at least 20 more along the roadside. Sure beats driving to the Murray Mallee or north of Pt. Augusta to tick them for the year list! The rain by this time was coming down hard and I abandoned my quest for pics. of the Elegant Parrots.
All in all, it was a pretty good morning, came away with a new life tick and a few decent pics. of waders for the collection. Nice!
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