A well beyond average Saturday

We are finding that the passage of the seasons means we are often up well before daybreak.  So are some of the fisherfolk as exemplified by this one heading out towards the bar,  (For the benefit of non-Australians, that is a term given to sandbanks that build up across the mouths of estuaries.  I can't imagine that a fisherperson would be heading to the pub at 0615: they'd know it doesn't open until 1000.)
Eventually the sun arose.
A large butterfly caught our attention as we set off on our dog walk.  It looked a trifle odd, but on checking this photo against my field guide it was an Orchard Butterfly: the oddness was due to the hind-wings being tucked away,
In the lagoon a Little Egret (note black bill and legs) ...
... was feeding with a couple each of White-faced Herons and Royal Spoonbills.
Having got the exercise walk out of the way later in the day we went for a stroll to Quarry Beach.  Unlike the exercise walk this was devoid of birds (but well endowed with kelp).
On the subject of birds, the early morning was really excellent.  Bird of the Day appeared early, in the form of a Grey Goshawk.  This was calling from a large eucalypt on the far side of the road and thus attracting attention  from several Australian Magpies.  Alert and concerned readers need not be worried that I have completely slacked off: I did get some good looks at it and didn't rely on a 'heard' record.

As we walked along I also saw a Rufous Fantail and the Little Egret both of which are unusualish.

Later in the day we went to the back of the airport where bush-clearing appears to be happening: presumably the RFS have noticed there are trees there and their reflexes have cut in (as have their chainsaws).   There were few birds around with the least common being Jacky Winters.  They really are unexciting looking birds, as suggested by their alternate vernacular name of Brown Flycatcher.
My final outing for the day was to the poo pits and I spotted another 5 Jacky Winters on the fences as I walked in to the pits..  As usual there was a wide range of ducks in fairly large numbers on the water.  The least common duck was a couple of Musk Ducks.    As I walked out a male Scarlet Robin appeared making my 4th Australo-Papuan Robin for the day.
In the morning I had taken the lawn mower for a stroll.  I think it hadn't been mowed since we were last here in January but it wasn't too bad, scoring 14 catcher-fulls (my record is 28, after not being mowed from 3 wet months).  It looked better afterwards,
The candlestick Bansias were looking good .
As was a pink eucalypt.
We take a final stroll just before having our evening meal.  This evening we found a flock of Pelicans taking their meal adjacent to the Karbeethong ramp where a fisherperson was throwing them scraps as he cleaned his catch.
As I went to bed I noticed that the moon had risen: I was still a little later than I wanted (my hope was to get it right on the horizon) but it's quite pretty.

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