A couple of weeks ago I had some time after work to have a stroll along the walking paths of Caloundra and Moffat Headlands. There had been some heavy weather through earlier and although it was windy the rain had ceased, allowing me to take a few shots and check out the birdlife.
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| Looking towards Caloundra from the Headland shore. |
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| Rockscape below Caloundra Headland. |
As I wandered along looking out to sea, a large bird alighted on a branch of one of the many large Norfolk pines that have been planted along this stretch of the coast. It sat quietly preening and fluffing up it's plumage.
Being overhead it gave me the opportunity to take an unusual shot.
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| Headless raptor. |
The bird was an Osprey and it eye-balled me from it's perch till I moved on and left it in peace.
These magnificent raptors nest in the pines and I have seen a pair attending a nest behind the control cockpit of a crane on top of an apartment block building site in town.
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| Eastern Osprey |
My walk along Moffat Headland gave me the chance to observe some Australasian Gannets do their spectacular plunges for prey and to appreciate their mastery of the windy conditions. I watched their antics through my binos for about 20 minutes before the showers came back with a vengeance.
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| View from Moffat Headland. |
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| Australasian Gannet. |
The following day the weather had improved dramatically, the sun was out and these lorikeets made the most of some fresh seed in our backyard feeder.
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| Rainbow Lorikeets |
And this fantail was still hanging around even though most of his mates have started heading south as the weather slowly warms.
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| Grey Fantail |
