View from the Bridge

Do you have a birding spot that whenever you approach it you get that great feeling of anticipation and excitement? Well over the years I've come to feel that way about the bridge over the Orielton Creek at the North end of Orielton Lagoon. The old bridge, a rickety, single lane wooden one, has been replaced with a concrete and steel 2 lane job. Perhaps it doesn't have the charm of the old one, but makes for easier viewing from the car! Over the years, from this bridge, I've seen such Tasmanian rarities as Marsh Sandpiper and Oriental Plover, and a battle between a Coot and a Sea Eagle, that went on for 10 minutes or more, before the Sea Eagle gave up. Those halcyon days, I suspect, are gone, due in part to the regime of the lagoon now making it tidal. Undoubtedly, the ever burgeoning Kelp Gull colony, is also having a detrimental effect. Despite that, it's still one of the best spots to see Egrets, Pelicans, Terns, Gulls, and a host of small waders, all without getting out of the car!
The accompanying images of a Pelican and Little Egret were both taken from the bridge earlier this month--and I did have to get out of the car to take them!