I had, finally, thanks to lockdown restrictions easing, journeyed over to Camera Exchange. My trip was to complete a deal we’d commenced back in July, and had been forced by luck of lockdown to put on hold as I couldn’t get over with my gear to exchange nor pickup any goods that were part of the exchange. I mean, that is how exchange works. (isn’t it)
So after exchanging some of the Queen’s Legal Tender, (is it the Queen’s? or the Australian Government?) either way, Ryan was happy to relieve the bulge in my wallet and gave me a shiny new carry case to put in iAmGrey to transport home again.
Thinking it would be nice to see in the shiny case, and to give its contents a bit of a test run, I had to pass by Point Cook Coastal Park, and decided that a quick trip to the beach should be enough to see put the contents of the shiny case to good use.
However when I arrived at the beach area, the birds had different ideas and only a few gulls and a lone White-faced Heron were in residence. But I got to play with the kit, and as time was of the essence, I moved on.
Partway back to iAmGrey, I heard a familiar call, but not one I’d ever heard at Point Cook before. So it was time to investigate.
The noises increased and I suddenly could count, not two, nor five, but 14 Rainbow Bee-eaters. Not a bird we’ve seen at Point Cook before.
No doubt they were not moving in, but were simply topping up with fuel on their annual trip down the coast to a suitable nesting location. Just behind the You Yangs is one of the closest I know of.
Rainbow Bee-eaters in our area generally nest in dry creek-beds burrowing into the sandy banks to form their nesting chambers. Most of the sites I know of are either on restricted access parks, or on private property farms. So it’s not unusual to go the whole season and not see or photograph them.
No doubt they were not going to move into the park here, but would be on their way over the next couple of days. So I had to make the most of what I has available.
A few days later, Mr. An Onymous, and Ms. In Cognito, EE and I stopped by for another look, and of course not a bee-eater to be found.
Such is the Karma of birding. I’m thinking of a note to Ross to tell him the shiny case is a good piece of kit, and more importantly it attracts birds 🙂
At least the bee-keeper who has some hives in the area would be happy that they had travelled on.
Enjoy.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER - --doesn't mean I'm LOST 
Wonderful shots and congratulations on being able to complete your purchase after such a long wait!
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Ha, thanks Eleanor now I need to get Dan’s approval to actually take the kit somewhere useful.
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A very serendipitous visit to the coastal park, David! Amazing to see the Bee-eaters there, if only in transit! A splendid series of images!
Great that you were able to finish your deal at CX too!
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Hi David, sometimes it seems, just being there is the magic moment. I think I just like going to Ross and John, to play with the latest offerings they have.
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Gorgeous shots David ! How blessed you were to have them stop by to brighten up the lonely beach scene for you. I have noticed they like beaches. When we go away next week, we hope to find them in a beach spot in a national park where they are found each year. I am a bit curious about one of those photos, the way the female is looking, as if waiting for him to present the bee as a mating gift from the male. They are sucha beautiful bird, it is such a pleasure to see them each summer, though usually not here in Sydney.
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Hello Ashley, it was as some commented on flickr, ‘serendipitous’
Had I not gone to the other side of town, I’d have not been down at the Park.
We normally find them along creeks cut through the sandy loam of much of the lava flood plains around here.
As to the fate of the bee, well, it went down the tummy of the catching bird. What was interesting in the 10 or so pairs on the day, was they were very much working together, not ‘co-mingling’.
I didn’t see any food transfers while I was there.
What I think is funny is that I grew up on the Murray River, home town Swan Hill, about 30 years ago they built a golfclub resort on a sandhill area just outside the town on the NSW side. The birds must have used the area for nesting for thousands (?) of years and still continued to return so a golfer might have an orange/aqua blur speed past as they made their swing.
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