Rafting in the Mitchell

On Monday week ago, there was a BLEG outing, initially to Macleod's Morass and then the cliff at Eagle Point. Prior to dipping on the Painted Honeyeaters, I returned to our initial birding site because I was missing my hat and thought it may have been left at the parking area. It was nowhere to be seen there so I slowly made my way back to the Bairnsdale-Paynesville Road along the Old Paynesville Road which runs alongside the Mitchell River. And there, in the Mitchell River was .... not my hat .... but a raft of birds.

I estimated that there were 500 Great Cormorants present. They were just smooching about, not too concerned by my presence. The Mitchell River is flowing, slowly, towards the camera.

I saw a small number of Little Black Cormorants but they were almost exclusively Great Cormorants.

The upstream edge of the raft was being kept intact by patrolling Australian Pelicans. There were about 20 or them. I photographed them for 10 minutes or so, one Pelican arrived and one GC flew away. Not much was happening so I departed.

And my hat? It is the same colour as the car seat covers and had been sitting quite innocently on the head rest but blending in superbly with the surroundings. Better than a Tawny Frogmouth!!

Magic. f22 and be there.