Pacific Gull – Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST

Along the Track: Wednesday Wanderings

March 27, 2024Posted in Along the Track, Great Cormorant, Pacific Gull, Pied Butcher Bird, Queenscliff, Wedge-tailed EagleTagged Grey Butcherbird, Pacific Gull, Wedge-tailed Eagle5 Comments

“What about a couple of days down at Queenscliff?”, hung in the air for a few minutes.
Seemed possible. It is well outside my usual rule. Some may recall that we try not to travel more than 30 minutes or so to a birding spot. These days with extra traffic, we’ll fudge out to 45mins 🙂

So after loading up IamGrey with the appropriated changes of clothes, the right camera gear and bookings for accommodation all set. We too. Set off.

Any run down the Geelong bound freeway will call for a diversion off the highway and a run along the western edge of the WTP, along Pousties Rd for those who follow such things on maps.

I was looking right, EE looking left.—partly because that is the seating arrangement in IamGrey.

Not long before the call, “There is a Wedge-tailed Eagle on the fence!” came from the left side of the car. I should have known.
Said bird was about 100m down the fence-line from the road, but a handy short track to a fence managed to cover about 25m or so. The bird soon took note of our approach. Not wishing to put it up we stopped. But. Perhaps that was even more unnerving and it unfolded the wonderful big sails and before you could say, “There it goes”. It went.

Big grins all round, we continued on to Drysdale and the best pie shop around. There are rumours that I’d travel down there just for the pies, but you shouldn’t believe everything you read. 🙂

Armed with a fine pie, and a coffee we returned to the side of the Drysdale Railway Station, and enjoyed the repast in the lee of the wind.
Lake Lonsdale, right next to the Station, is usually a good place for wetlands birds and we set off. But water levels had changed somewhat, and most of the birds would have nested and departed. Still we managed a few worthwhile finds. But no Grey Butcherbirds that we had hoped to find.
Onwards down the coast we motored.

As it was going to be cloudless evening, we picked up some ‘fish’n’chips’ from the wonderful, “The Original Queenscliff Fish and Chips” in the main street and headed up to the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse hoping we might find some seabirds in the air in the strengthening wind.
We sat on a small table in the carpark area and opened up and enjoyed our humble meal. And both of us simultaneously saw a grey shape in the bushes opposite.

A Pied Butcherbird. Cameras of course were in the vehicle, way over the other side of the carpark, and one of us volunteered to go fetch. Knowing that by the time we were ready for photos, the bird will have flown on.
But no.
This bird probably used this area regularly and sat down tummy on the branch and watched the goings on around. Then a bit of preening, and we went back to the table. By the time we’d wrapped up the remains and were ready to head up to the Lighthouse, the bird was still happily perched.

At the top we were treated to a great view of the sun setting down the coast, and a pair of Pacific Gulls that seemed to relish the wind and the occasional wave spraying over their rocky perch.
And the sight of the Pilot Boat returning over the rough waters of “The Heads”—the flow of water between the East and West sides of Port Phillip Bay. But that will be another blog.(Please)

And top it off, as we drove back to accommodation, the full Moon began peeking over the horizon.

Here are a few highlights.

Pacific Gull Hunting

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015Posted in Pacific Gull, Point CookTagged Pacific Gull, Point Cook, Point Cook Coastal ParkLeave a comment

Took an unexpected turn and ended up at the Point Cook Coastal Park. We had planned to have lunch at the Homestead Cafe. But. Its closed. Until further notice.

So we grabbed the cameras and headed for the beach.

Down by the pylons of the old jetty a Pacific Gull pair were stationed bobbing up and down in the waves. Then with a leap, they would duck under the water and emerge with a crab dinner.

These shots are not one sequence but the best from about 15 mins of watching them at work.

Well pleased as the squiggly bits go down.

Dull day at the beach

June 22, 2015June 23, 2015Posted in Pacific Gull, Point Cook, Whistling KiteTagged Pacific Gull, Point Cook Coastal Park, Whistling KiteLeave a comment

One look at the weather map was enough, didn’t need no icon waving, weather talkin, danger predicting tv dude to tell me. It was going to be cold, miserable, overcast and photographically crippling.

But.

We went anyway.

Mostly to see if the Flame Robins were at Point Cook, -yes. Was the Pink Robin(s) there. No. (well not that we could find) Were the pair of Black Kites any further advanced with the reproduction activity. Jury out on that.

After being blown down toward the beach, the tide was well out. Half blown out, I’d suggest. And there were a pair of Pacific Gulls resting in the lee of the rocks. And the shutter speed was on the never-never plan.

After awhile one of the gulls got up, flew to a rocky edge of the water and retrieved what I take to be a Sea Urchin. This hard shell creature is more than it can break open by hitting on a rock. But, the species has developed over the years a working technique. Take the prize up about 20m and drop it on the rocks. Smash. Or at least on the second attempt.
Waft down and enjoy the feast.

After performing this feat several times in front of us, it also attracted the usual scavengers and free loaders. So on the incredibly strong wind several Whistling Kites came to pay a visit to their new ‘best’ mate. However Pacific was having none of that and inspite of some clever wing work on the part of several attacking at once, the gull simply stood its ground. In the end, they moved on to look elsewhere and gull went back to its snack. And then moved down the beach with the next catch.