Australian Pelicans are stunning big birds with an appearance that is unmistakable. Since starting to photograph them I have really noticed the colours in their famously large bills. In the breeding season the colours change and become even more saturated, creating a rich palette on the birds bill. While I was photographing on an exposed sand flat at Narooma in June a lone pelican was resting there. I was able to approach it with the sun almost directly behind me. The bird was regularly looking at the other activities happening around it and I was lucky enough that it turned its head so that the sun caught the length of the richly-hued bill. It was one of my favourite shots of these truly wonderful birds. I had a marvellous time wandering around on the sand flats and I hope that you like the photographs below.
I was so happy to see that the sky was blue over Narooma on that Sunday morning when I planned to photograph on the sand flats. I was wearing gum boots so that I could wander more freely without being worried about getting my shoes soaked. The tide was running out and the sand was becoming very exposed in an area behind a retaining rock wall. This sandy expanse to the west of the bar beach south seemed to be a favourite location for a variety of birds. There was also an old wooden pole sticking out of the sand. I am not sure what its function was but it looked like it had been placed there a long while ago with some thought. It now had a bit of a lean to it and the lower parts were covered with differing results of being submerged for long periods of time. A lone seashell was making the most of an algae feed having somehow found this food source on the sand flat. I photographed the pole because I liked how it contrasted with the flat, evenness surrounding it.
Wooden pole sticking out of the sand flat
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 105mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Looking out over the remaining water there were small black clusters everywhere, which were Black Swans (Cygnus atratus; Dhurga gunjung) feeding in the shallows. They were dotted throughout the expanse of water, although some appeared to be in pairs. Black swans are plant eaters, including seaweed, an algae. The seaweed must be salty, as is the water, but swans have a salt removal gland just above their eyes that extracts excess salt out of the blood and excretes it suspended in liquid through the nostrils or nares. The salty liquid follows a groove in their red bill and drips down from the curved end of their bill. One source said that every few days they need to go to freshwater to assist with this process but none of the other sources mentioned that. Although, sources noted that these birds were not as sedentary as once thought, they will move to other areas, especially inland regions, when rain makes them damp enough to support an abundance of life. They are beautiful birds, with the gentle curve of their necks adding to their grace.
Moving from grace to a less refined subject, the swans produced a hefty number of droppings that were lying everywhere. The droppings gave a good indication of what food they were eating. The purple tinge was a good colour match for the seaweed in that part of the inlet.
Black Swans wading through shallow water
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Black Swan droppings coloured by the local purple seaweed
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Feeding as a group were a number of Grey Teals (Anas gracilis; Dhurga gumbaraga), which were happy to swim and wade in the search of food. Both sexes have the same plumage but the mature male is larger than the mature female. Their feeding strategies of dabbling and plucking food from the shallow bottom or dry land have given them the ability to live in a wide range watery environments.
Grey Teals feeding on seaweed
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Several pairs of Pied Oystercatchers (Haematopus longirostris) were foraging across the flats. Occasionally these birds would call out but I was unable to see a reason. On the whole, these birds were content to quietly pace in a reasonable straight line, jabbing their beaks into the soft sand. Sometimes, they would rotate their bodies around their buried beaks like they were drilling down but they did not seem to struggle in lifting their heads up so maybe they were pursing burrowing food deeper into the sand. The scientific name of these birds is very apt. Haematopus is loosely translated as blood-red foot, while longirostris means long bill. No arguments on either of those from me.
Pied Oystercatcher looking for food
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
The other local species of oystercatcher, the Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus), was also present, although represented by a single individual. This bird was not feeding but was standing on the rocks that lined the inlet’s deep channel.
Sooty Oystercatcher on a rock
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Several White-faced Herons (Egretta novaehollandiae) were prowling through the emerging small clumps of weed. Some of the birds were out where the water was less shallow, in the area near the channel, where their long legs gave them the advantage over the other birds in wading.
White-faced Heron on the sand flats
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/640 SEC])
There was a Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles; Dhurga bindjaringaring) walking along the sand. I was cautious in case this bird had a nest near by but it did not seem worried about my presence. I was worried because these birds have spurs on their wings they will use to defend their nests when threats get too close.
Masked Lapwing
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
I had seen the sitting Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus; Dhurga garungguba) from the moment that I stepped onto the sand flat. Once I saw the large bird I knew that I wanted to photograph it so I started making my way carefully around to where it was on the far side of the expanse. I followed a curved approach so as not to alarm the bird. While I was approaching I would stop and take the photos that I have posted above, partly to show that I was not hurriedly approaching the pelican and partly because I wanted to photograph those other birds. Getting closer to the pelican, I noticed that it was starting to show signs of concern, so I decided to sit down in an effort to demonstrate that I was no threat. Of course, a major flaw with that plan was that I sat down on wet sand and ended up with a damp seat of my pants but it was worth it. The pelican went back to a more relaxed state and I was able to photograph it from a more stable sitting position as well. I was happy to get some photographs of this bird because its large bill had the breeding colouration. It seems that both sexes have this coloration change so it may indicate the intent and ability of the bird to breed rather than a way to attract a mate. Pelicans depend more on the environmental conditions being right rather waiting for a breeding season. A second pelican landed while I was photographing the first bird and it was a good example of the normal colours of a non-breeding pelican. That is the bird in the second photograph below.
Australian Pelican with breeding colouration around the bill
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Australian Pelican on the same day but without the breeding colouring
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Walking back from photographing the pelicans, I paused to look at a pond that had formed in the sand. After only a minute of standing still a Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) flew down to almost my feet where it hopped around. I carefully tried to slide my camera up to take a photo but that movement scared it to a nearby rock. I was unsure why it landed at my feet, maybe it hoped that my movements would disturb some small insects in the sand and it could swoop on them.
Willie Wagtail surveying things from a rock
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
After photographing the birds I returned to my car for the short drive home. While passing the bar boat ramp on the northern side of the inlet I saw a thin object sticking out of the water. Initially, I thought it was the wood from a fallen branch poking through the water. For some reason I decided to stop to check it out more closely. Getting out of the car, I realised the bit of wood was actually one of the front flippers of an Australian Fur Seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus; Dhurga yiragala). The animal was underwater on its side with one of its front flippers sticking out of the water. When the seal saw my approach it slowly started to swim towards me. Probably because I had taken position at the fish washing station beside the boat ramp, where anglers would throw their unwanted fish waste to seals, pelicans, stingrays, etc. Interestingly, while it was waiting for food that would not come from me, I noticed that it kept both its eyes shut but held its head high up so that its nose was the highest point of its body. Maybe it had other ways of detecting when people threw food to it beyond just eyesight. I was so fascinated with this incredible experience of having a wild seal so close to me that I did not realise that there was a second seal sunning itself a few metres away on the concrete footpath. I thought that I had been smart keeping the fish washing station’s metal frame between me and the first seal but now I had nothing between me and the second seal. The second seal lifted its head when the first seal crawled closer to me at the fish washing stand, the second seal also let out a short hoot, which is why I suddenly became aware of it. It did not keep its head raised long, before lowering it slowly. It slightly opened one eye to regard me but that was the only indication that I had that it even cared about my presence. Seeing those two seals at such close range was a great way to finish off a wonderful morning.
The first Australian Fur Seal, which swam up to me
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The second Australian Fur seal, which was enjoying the warm footpath
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
In looking at the different species of birds it was interesting to see that none of them were contesting territory with the other species. The birds predominantly fed on different parts of the food chain, and there was plenty of food to go around, probably meaning there was not much for contesting space. The absence of squabbling brought a sense of calm to the scene I observed on the sand flat that morning. Being alone on the sand flat with birds going about their lives was a beautifully peaceful way to refresh myself and be reminded of a slower way to go about life.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the south coast of New South Wales has on offer. All the best until the next post.