LM Birds
Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 16 May 2016 22:57
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Lady Musgrave Birds
  We timed going ashore for after the
tour ferry left, not that many had come but still it’s lovely to have the island
to ourselves. The sky was abuzz with terns rushing
about most with little fish in their bills.
 On the beach there was a mothers meeting in progress, amazingly
camouflaged........
 .......and a chick
begging for food.
   Hooded terns, very acrobatic, suddenly turning on a dime in
flight and always busy.
   Romance in the air ??? He tried an impressive stance and got shouted at, then he tried foot tapping and she gave him the cold shoulder so he went
back to the wing spectacular.
  Intrigued, we watched as he went off and returned with a fish. Surely she would be
wooed. No, she shouted at him again.
   He
didn’t know what to do next, but had another go – failed, she
deserted him.....
   Roseate terns – pretty birds.
  A few steps into the woods we saw
a chick right above our heads, he tried crying out
for food but when this failed he thought he would give the preening business a try.
   Mum did come
back but despite much squeaking and us wishing, no, not interested.
 More squeaking,
then resignation. Oh well, we’ll move
on.
   We were lucky to glimpse a couple of silvereyes – so quick and shy, the second about
to feast on something bug-like.
  Buff-banded
Rails are as fast as Roadrunner, these were the best two of the seven we
saw, all high speed scooters.
   By contrast these
chaps came in to roost actually looking tired – we could lean up for
pictures, they were not worried at all.
 It’s their neat
webbed feet that made us laugh, so wrong on a tree branch.
   More came in all
the time, meanwhile back at our favourite chick we found dad, mum nearby.
Time to head back to the beach.
      Even seagulls look handsome here.
 A pair of pied
oystercatchers.
 A fly-by of brown
boobies.
 A pair of
herons looking haughty, proud and chic.
    Graceful in
flight.
   A female white-bellied sea eagle came to survey the
visitors.
 Meanwhile, her
man stood sentry on the navigation light, but favourite of the day......
 ALL IN ALL A PERFECT PLACE
FOR THESE BIRDS TO CALL HOME
A TAME
BUNCH |