Tuesday 18 April 2017

LIFE'S A BEACH




Yesterday I went to Ocean Beach, the surf beach that is close to where I live.
It was a nice day, a bit of cloud but sunny and the waves were still a bit violent after the storm of a couple of days before.



This is a magnificent beach looking out westwards towards - Argentina? - I don't know but there's a lot of big water out there.



One of the nice things about this beach is the interesting rock formations and the small islands that lie just of of it - Hen and Chickens and others.




There was lots of birdlife (and I don't just mean the surfer chicks) to look at. These little guys let me get quite close before I disturbed them and they flew away.


16 comments:

Richard (of RBB) said...

I've been having trouble sleeping lately. I must re read this just before I go to bed tonight. Thanks in advance.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Glad to help.
Put on some double bass music at the same time and you'll be off in no time.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Philistine.

Richard (of RBB) said...

Are you saying that these pictures are actually from the Middle East?

Robert and the Catholics said...

Goodness I can't leave you two together for a minute...
That last photo is of herons? Just I've seen then in the Hutt river and it's disgusting tributeries; but never on a beach!

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Geographically challenged prosaic person!

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Richard that is.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Yep, herons.
There were also some very rare New Zealand dotterels there.
(Richard, the philistine would probably have thrown stones at them).

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Hold on. hold on - I've just referred to my 'Know Your New Zealand Birds' book (excellent publication you should buy it ) and I think that those birds are Pied shags.
Richard, being Richard will probably make some lame joke like ...."A shag! No wonder you didn't recognise it"

Robert and the Catholics said...

No Richard being a bit dotery would probably have played a bass solo for them.

Robert and the Catholics said...

Yes you are right... "Pied shag has a mainly coastal breeding distribution, occurring in three separate areas of New Zealand. Northern North Island: colonies on the western and eastern coasts of Northland and Auckland, and extending down to East Cape. Central New Zealand: Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury as far south as Banks Peninsula. Southern South Island: Fiordland and Stewart Island. Pied shags mainly forage in coastal marine waters, harbours and estuaries, but occasionally also in freshwater lakes and ponds close to the coast".
I'll look out the window with more care as I commute to Eastbourne.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

My book lists an Australian Coot.
Maybe this is more Richard's type of bird.

Robert and the Catholics said...

Yes especially maybe since its voice is after all a loud "krark".

Robert and the Catholics said...

Actually no. I've never heard Richard "krak".
Nightingale might be more appropriate.

Richard (of RBB) said...

Thanks to you both. Sleep will come easily tonight.

THE CURMUDGEON said...

Krak!