A one day, work related course had me travelling down the coast to Sydney, and with that a chance to visit the stomping ground of fellow bird photographer Mark Young...Long Reef rock platform. This was to be my first trip to the rock platform and I was hoping there would be something to photograph. As I approached the beach I could see a lonely figure standing knee deep in water looking at the rocks. I met up with Mark and we started towards the roosting area to visit the birds.
A fast flypast had Mark jumping for joy as a solitary Bar-tailed Godwit did some laps then flew off. This was his first sighting of a Barwit at Long Reef so to say he was stoked would be an understatement.
On the rock platform I was amazed to see there were lots of birds and several different species. Grey-tailed Tattlers, Ruddy Turnstones, Red-necked Stints, Pacific Golden Plover, Sooty Oystercatchers, 3 species of cormorant, Silver Gull, Crested Tern and a lone Great Knot. The knot was a first for Mark this year at this location.
While getting close to the birds was great, it was also hard work as I crawled on my stomach, elbows and knees over rock, barnacle, shell grit and oyster shell to stay low during my approaches. Definitely a good place to employ knee and elbow pads if you intend to flop around like a leopard seal (as I did).
I only spent an hour or so with the birds as a work collegue came for the drive and I could see him looking a bit bored, but I will definitely need to revisit because even though it's a small patch of rock, it's rich in bird life.
It was good catching up with you again Lucky, you certainly got some top shots.
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