Over Easter I explored the Bellarine Peninsula, south of Melbourne and the  other side of the opening of Port Phillip Bay. I have not been down this way before for photography and birding so it was all new. I researched some tips from John (my birding mate) and hit a few sites over several days.
The first area was the Lonsdale Lakes starting at Lake Victoria. It is a flat area with wide mud banks and a fairly shallow lagoon. It is quickly drying out but obviously still has a good food supply for the various species I came across: Swans, Stilts, Red Necked Stints, Red Capped Plovers, White Faced Herons and Gulls.
The vegetation long the lake side and paths is low scrub, shrubs, grasses and salt -bush and various succulent type plants -all very tough and hardy for dry, salty and windy conditions. It is quite attractive in the right light too with many shades of green…
The path along the lake’s edge
Lake side vegetation
Red Capped Plover – a tiny young bird in a wide expanse, well camouflaged when hiding beside a small rock
Red Capped Plover
Red Capped Plover II
Red Capped Plovers
Red Capped Plover III
Red Necked Stints flying in
Many Black Swans were feeding in the shallow water and flying over to fresh feeding grounds
I watched this White Faced Heron for a while and took a few shots as it fed in the mud along a nearby creek. At one point it stood quite still, did a full body shake and then went back to feeding. It might be part of a grooming action or just bringing in more air under its feathers as the day got later and cooler.
White faced Heron
White faced Heron II
White faced Heron III
White faced Heron IV
The Gap Year and Beyond 