I was down at Lake Claremont the other morning nice and early. It was to say the least a little on the cool side. Usually there are quite a few people there walking, running or cycling. But this particular morning it was so cold that there was me and another bloke walking his dog called Daisy. I know the dog was called Daisy because every few seconds I could hear “No Daisy”, “Bad daisy”, “Daisy heel” and “Daisy how many times have I got to tell you?”. I really felt sorry for the dog.
A fluffed up Singing Honeyeater waiting for it to warm up.
Initially the few birds that were around were all fluffed up like puff balls waiting for the sun to come out and warm them up. Unfortunately this was the best it was going to be as rain was forecast. Down at the bird viewing platform I saw a few hardy White-headed Stilts wadding in the cold water. The water looked like glass reflecting the grey sky above and this made for fantastic reflections of the birds.
The grey sky reflected in the water made for great reflections. White-headed Stilt (Himantopus himantopus subsp. leucocephalus). Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
As it started to rain it got a little warmer, but not enough to entice any of the feathered residents out to have their photo taken. At this point the morning looked as if it was going to be a complete wash out so I headed off to the TeeBox Cafe for a cheering coffee with the hope that while I was there the water would abate and some birds would appear. While I was there a circumferentially challenged couple with their two dogs sat down at the table next to me and proceeded to scoff a Full English Breakfast (FEB) as if they hadn’t eaten in the last week. A waitress came out to them with a couple of rashers of bacon saying they’d been dropped on the floor and could she give it to their dogs. With a mouth chock full of said item she said “no” as it was bad for them! I’m not making this stuff up. The waitress looked like she was going to dissolve into hysterical laughter. I’m just surprised they didn’t just shovel it into their maws. After a while it was apparent that I couldn’t make a coffee last any longer so I headed back to the car at a brisk pace in the pouring rain. On the way I was met by a Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo and a Laughing Kookaburra that seemed oblivious to the weather.
Rain? What Rain? Ngolak is the name by which the Nyoongar people called the Short-billed Black Cockatoo aka Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo (calyptorhynchus latirostris). Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
Laughing Kookaburra (daceelo novaeguineae). Lake Claremont, Western Australia.
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