Heading home

Last day of this trip. Woke to a very misty day and sound recording not much use because traffic noise from the freeway was very loud under these conditions. Not much to note from the garden this morning because I was busy packing. However, the orioles have not gone! Tracey, James and I go to Ormond Beach at mid-day and have a Mexican take-away lunch before I go off to look at the lagoon which was full unlike its condition a couple of weeks ago.

Lagoon at Ormond Beach

Tide was now lower than before but rising. Much less to see this time but the Red-shouldered Hawk was present and about 20 Double-crested Cormorants were loafing. Also 3-4 Pied-billed Grebe were present and a first autumn Horned Grebe was swimming about but not diving. A few Mallard and a good number of gulls on the far E end of the lagoon and out to sea and gathered on the surf beach up nearer to the pier. Probably 1000 birds but I never got round to scanning many of them. I did a bit of photography on a Long-billed Curlew, some Marbled Godwits and a few Willets. A few (ca 20) Western Sandpiper were present on the lagoon and a single Spotted Sandpiper. One Great Blue Heron and a single Snowy Egret was also seen. I was reasonably confident that two cormorants well out to sea were in fact Brandt’s Cormorant. A small number of Brown Pelican were seen moving E along the beach. We came home about 1430.

Brown Pelicans

Long-billed Curlew

Marbled Godwits

Off to catch the plane at 1800 in the Roadrunner shuttle bus. Depart from LA at 2330 tonight. Roadrunner arrives at about 1840 and I get to LAX at about 2000. Check in and security are very quick and I am at gate 41 in no time at all. Flight out was comfortable and the plane not overcrowded. Arrival in Sydney was on time but held back by 0600 curfew so clearing immigration and customs was slow with the simultaneous arrival of several large flights. Transfer to domestic by 0730 and on to the Canberra flight at about 0845 for an arrival in Canberra that was only about 10 minutes late. Katie at the airport to take me home. Relax and go through the mountain of mail. Mrs Cummins has completely re-landscaped her front garden while I have been away! Jim is at the coast. Hailie very pleased to se me!

Red-shouldered Hawk and Long-billed Curlew are highlights.