The birds knew a bad storm was coming

These photos were taken just before the storm. Looks like the Oyks were practising freestyle swimming in preparation for what was to come.

Yesterday, the day after the storm, saw the beach much changed. All the sand hills are now gone and the end point mostly underwater at high tide. The curlews, we had 5 plus one whimbrel, were picking over around Bonnie Vale. Hadn't seen them up that way before. Only the solo Oyk was up in the Bonnie Vale area.

Today things are back to normal. There is still a little area at the end of the Spit that stays above water and the curlews were back to resting there. The Oyk pair also returned to their spot at Bonnie Vale and are taking advantage of all the weed washed up there as they blend in really well while resting amongst it. I still need to find the little band of plovers. Their resting area no longer exists as they rested in the grass hills at the end of the spit.

9 June, four days after the storm, and the plovers still have not reappeared. We do however, have around 5 sooty oystercatchers that have taken up residence along the beach. We have still been having large and powerful surf conditions and king tides so that could be why. It is unusual for sootys to hang out on a sandy beach, they are more rocky outcrop type birds.