This morning I headed back to the Mangrove Bay area with a number of possibilities in mind. Last night the tide had been out but the light was wrong. If the mudflats were exposed again this morning, the sun would be right and I would spend some time photographing the Eastern Reef Egrets and waders that were feeding out there. If not, the gerygones and fantails and other mangrove species would easily occupy my time. In fact, the tide was still out a bit but coming in fairly quickly and there weren't any birds feeding anywhere near where I was so instead I headed into the mangroves.
Without any trouble, I immediately found a flock of Dusky Gerygones and was able to photograph several individuals, including a juvenile. There were also some Yellow White-eyes around but they weren't cooperative. I then moved on a bit and found a pair of Mangrove Fantails but no matter what I did, I couldn't manage to get any photos. A bit frustrated, Imoved on some more and found a White-breasted Whistler. Once again, I couldn't get any photos but it was great to see a male since I had only seen a female previously. As the light was starting to get a bit harsh, I decided to head back to the car park and figure out my plan for the rest of the day.
When I arrived at the car, Ifound a Australian Kestrel perched on a nearby bush. I couldn't get as close as I had hoped, but I did manage to get a few frames off, the first I have had an opportunity to take this year. It is amazing how many kestrels I have seen yet I didn't have a single photo until this morning. After the bird flew, I headed back to the car once again but was again stopped when a Rufous Fieldwren was calling from the top of a stick. As Iapproached the bird dropped down but two appeared almost immediately. One bird was perched in a fork with one foot on each branch which was quite comical and I was able to get a number of shots before they moved on to another bush.
Since Ihad pretty much photographed what I had come for, the gerygone in particular, I decided to move on to my next stop. The rest of the day was spent driving towards Karijini National Park through absolutely spectacular country. This is the Australia that I have always imagined. Red rocky cliffs with plains of spinifex and small trees. As a result of the cyclones earlier this year, the ground is actually covered in bright green grass, something I have not seen in quite a long time. It really was a beautiful drive but a bit longer than Ihad expected, or maybe I stopped more than planned, so I didn't make it all the way to Karijini. Iended up in a roadside campground just short of Tom Price and I will head into the park tomorrow.
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