Double-dipping

The weather doesn't know what it wants to do just now so despite temperatures being currently up in the high thirties with blazing sunshine, last weekend was a miserable wet affair with only a few dry spells between torrential downpours.

Long Reef

Bad weather often brings in the rarities but often drives them away as well. And so it was that I spent part of Saturday up on Sydney's northern beaches searching Long Reef for Grey Plovers. They were reported on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but by the time I got there they were nowhere to be seen. Plenty of waders were running around but, try as I might, none of the many Golden Plovers could be turned into a Grey. I had to make do with the usual oystercatchers, turnstones, stints and tattlers and a crazy green sea anemone.

Anemone

When I got home just after dark I read that a Beach Stone-curlew had appeared up the Parramatta River only a few minutes from my place. Less than 12 hours later I was up with the lark (and the other twitchers) on the edge of the river at Putney. Not a very pleasant spot and no sign of the bird either. I was back in bed before Emily had even noticed I was gone!

Putney