CENTRAL COAST - 'BIRDS OF AVOCA LAGOON' - KAYAK - 9 JANUARY 2015

The surf was messy but the wind nil and the sun was shining, so off for a kayak.

I paddled around Avoca lagoon. I paddled casually and enjoyed the shades of morning light, the reflections on the water and the numerous birds.


A pied cormorant put on a great show. I was so close and the sun was shining through the wings. The bird seemed to strike a number of poses for the camera.

A great kayak.



BIRD INFO







The Purple Swamphen has a resplendent purple-blue neck, breast and belly, and a gaudy, oversized bill and frontal shield, both of which are bright red, as are its beady eyes.

The Black-winged Stilt is a large black and white wader with long orange-red legs and a straight black bill. It has black on the back of the neck, a white collar and a red iris.

CENTRAL COAST - WAMBERAL LAGOON - KAYAK - 10 DECEMBER 2014

An early morning kayak on Wamberal Lagoon.



This morning I was joined by my friend, John.

The conditions were glassy and the sky cloudy.

The water was high so we were able to paddle across a few usually dry places.

There were  number of birds including cormorants and black swans.

The small tributary at the west end of the lagoon was a great paddle. It was still, dark and narrow. We were able to paddle through the reeds and between the trees.

It was a fun and pleasant paddle.

distance  - 4.54 km

CENTRAL COAST - TUGGERAH LAKE - TERILBAH ISLAND - KAYAK - 30 november 2014

A beautiful, morning with a hint of a wind.



I drove to The Entrance North and parked in the car park just after the bridge.

There was no wind, the water was reflecting mirror images and a number of birds lined the channel which was opposite Teribah Island.

While getting ready to launch a couple of pelicans stood on the edge of the shoreline and preened themselves. Shortly, a number of starlings appeared and hopped across the grass with their heads darting quickly in various directions while pecking at the ground for food.

I launched the kayak in glassy conditions. I caused a wake with the kayak just to watch the ripples. I paddled across the channel to Teribah Island and followed the shoreline to circumnavigate the island.

The paddling was fun as the water became very shallow due to the outgoing tide. I sat close to the front of the kayak to lift the back so I could paddle over shallow sections. Just near the end of the ride the water became too shallow and I was forced to abandon ship and wade through the shallows until I reached deeper water.

The birds were out and about in large numbers. I counted at least seven different species of birds.

Cormorants were in flight, roosting on trees and boating signs drying their feathers or diving under the water foraging for food. Stilts were standing on one legged watching the world. Black Swans flowed regally over the water in large groups. Spotted Doves sat in the trees looking like they were trying to make a decision to where they would go next. Ibises preened themselves amongst the pelicans. Dollarbirds roosted in the trees just watching - they have such pretty, shiny, subtle colours.

A great kayak of 2.22 km!

CENTRAL COAST - BRISBANE WATERS - CAROLINE BAY - KAYAK - 28 November 2014

Kayak time.



I parked just before the bridge at East Gosford on the Erina Creek side of the road. There is a small pier there and boat ramp.

The morning was very glassy. The sky and shoreline were reflected in the water. The kayak guided over the water like it was glass. Small ripples were created by the kayak's movement that tapered off into the distance.

I paddled under the bridge. For some reason going under bridges thrills me. The entry under the bridge was like stepping into a new environment. The water reflections played up and down and around the pylons supporting the bridge and the rocks and concrete walls of the shoreline. The water eddied around the pylons creating small whirlpools that veered away from the supports until they dissipated in the mainstream flow. Exiting the bridge, the morning sunrise and the bay was framed by the bridge and it's supports, then suddenly the view was unframed and radiant.

There were many birds. Black swans were gliding majestically across the water or flying effortlessly in formation in the blue grey skies. Lapwings noisily foraged in the mud and amongst the mangroves. Ducks paddled in groups in, out and around the mangroves. A lone seagull was walking in the shallows, preening and washing itself. An egret stood motionless in the shallows eyeing the water for prey. Cormorants sat on water advice signs and trees or swam in the water disappearing for a lng period of time under the water in search of food. It is amusing to watch them and try to guess where they will eventually surface.

So many birds took to flight. Their wings lightly tapped the water with each flap until they were airborne. Some like the black swans touched the water in a slow, graceful manner while birds like the ducks walloped the water fast and furiously.

The tide was low and going lower so the mangrove aeration roots were clearly exposed in the mud. Along the outer edge of the shoreline at the far end of the bay, there were a numbered of larger mangrove trees. These tress were spread well apart but they were all dead or dying. The base of the trees were slowly being eaten away.

Small islands of low lying rough rocks jutted out of the shallows. The birds congregated on these islands. Sharp edged oysters clung to the rocks in clusters.

Under the water, which was clearly visible in parts were large amounts of conical shellfish and thick long stranded seaweed. Occasionally, a large fish would breach the glassy water causing a small but noticeable splash and a circular rippling effect.

It was a great, relaxing kayak of 3.26 kilometres!