As the final site of a weekend of birding down the coast a few weeks ago, I walked along the Rosebud foreshore beach just enjoying the company of friends and a nice Autumn evening. I took the camera along just in case something interesting was discovered. I practiced shooting on several birds and tried to sneak up on a few others ( a bit tricky with friends, kids and dogs everywhere)
Rosebud Pier, Victoria
Silver Gulls, Rosebud Foreshore
A White Faced Heron was hunting in the water with a technique that I had seen Silver gulls use in a similar way – it would lift its leg out of the water, slowly move it forward and down and then wiggle it agitating the sand. It would then pounce on anything that moved.
White Faced Heron
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I noticed a Black Shouldered Kite patrolling the beach and the nearby scrub looking for mice. A large Silver Gull took a dislike to the Kite and tried to chase it off. The Gull is a master of flying in all conditions and I expected it to move the Kite away from the area but the Kite just kept turning at the last second and the gull would over-shoot. The Silver Gull did not give up easily and it was beautiful to watch the unconcerned Kite twist and turn away from the chasing Gull. It made the larger Gull look clumsy.
Silver Gull and Black Shouldered Kite, Rosebud Foreshore
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Little Wattlebird feeding on the nectar of a Banskia flower.
The Gap Year and Beyond 
The lower Mornington Peninsula must be a real haven for little wattlebirds… at various times of the year I have encountered them in flocks of dozens flying though the bush… both in the banksia woods on the track down to Bushrangers Bay and in huge numbers in the ti-tree scrub on the walk to Point Nepean.
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I think there are more Banksia bushes/trees than anywhere else – a good supply of food where they can dominate rather than the Red Wattlebird. I have seen Reds in huge numbers at Point Nepean hunting large bugs that had built up in masses.
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