Inskip at High Tide

I went out to Inskip late last week. It was a high tide early in the morning and I was out there before anyone else - even before the barge to Fraser Island arrived! Although the tide was high it was not the highest tide of the cycle. However, there was water washing over most of the sand spit.

There were still a few places where the shorebirds could roost out of the water and they were packed onto these bits of higher sand. As the waves came over the sand there was fairly constant movement as the birds jostled for room and even flew up for a few moments.

The waves left a thin film of water over the sand and there were a few Bar-tailed Godwits that kept busily hunting for food in this wet - and softer - sand. Birds with long slender bills like Godwits need the sand to be softer before they can probe into it for food.

Some of them reminded me of the game children play when they see how close they can get to the breaking waves.

There were a few Godwits showing early breeding plumage. Males usually change into breeding plumage first. The male is in the foreground of this photo and the female is walking behind him. Male Godwits are slightly smaller than females and their bill is slightly shorter.

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