Paper Cinema's Odyssey

Wonderful theatre at the Aotea centre last night. This was a fun night out and is becoming an annual event.  The show of manipulated intricate pen and ink drawings, linked with video, projected onto a large screen and live music, cleverly entertained us. We ended the evening at a  Malaysian restaurant the name of which escapes me but the food was memorable.

Monday Friend

It's that time of the year again with good company shared, that we move to the East coast, with days spent enjoying the  birds to be found nesting below the dunes and above the high tide line. Today we were joined by another friend explaining some serious bird call sound recording equipment that he had brought along for the project. Beau, the dotterel joined us too with time out from her nest to check us out.

 

 

  

The weather held up and was far better than  the forecast of heavy rain and that must have sent most  holiday public home early. We celebrated, as the light faded, with our first of many summer days spent on  this great coastline with dinner in a little cottage on the river.

Waiwera dotterels.

I  re-visited Waiwera today after checking out the foreshore at Shoal Bay.

 That sign at Waiwera read that in the 2013 breeding season out of 21 eggs only 12 chicks were hatched and then only one chick survived.

They put the low survival rate down to human and dog disturbance. Constant  disturbance of  the birds from their nests to lead people away from the nests so reducing successful chick production is the problem.

This area will now become a No Dogs area. They are waiting for the signs to go up.

Journeys End.

Bot Soc day near Journeys End on the Tapora peninsula exploring the Oruawharo river stewardship area. on the edge of the Kaipara.

 Many Thanks David for leading the walk and introducing us to Myrsine divaricate and the pretty little NZ harebell Wahlenbergia vernicollis. Ok so we got a bit wet but all in all an excellent day.

I finished the day with dinner on the East coast and a catch-up with a friend.

Myrsine divaricata



Wahlenbergia vernicollis



Rous Head WA - How Bizarre !

Is this for real? Just had to check this out on the way back from Geographe Bay and will be returning tomorrow for another look. Just a few kms along the beach from where we are staying at Cottesloe.
Fairy tern are only found in New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia. In New Zealand there are now under 50 birds left and they nest on the East and West Coast of the North Island North of Auckland. I have often watched these  with Eliane. The birds are not  colony breeders in NZ. However in Australia and New Caledonia the numbers are greater and the birds colonise, however they are still under threat, mainly due to disturbance to their nesting habitats.

 

 

Its a little early to see the birds but this one hectare site has been set aside as a sanctuary for them to nest right next to the container port at Rous Head  Freemantle. Apparently the birds nested successfully at this site, fledged 100 young and so the Port Authority have set aside this fenced area for them right next to the breakwater wall.. A great fishing spot.

Geographe Bay and the Margaret River

Staying at Geographe Bay. Watching the humpback whale migration from Cape Naturaliste. The flowers and vegetation are all so interesting and colourful.

Humpback Whale migration South

New Holland Honeyeater

 Photos and  more to follow ..........