Thursday 23 December 2010

Redhead Beach - Christmas Week (4)


These two cormorants (shags) put on a terrific aerobatic display. Behind them, out toward the horizon, rides at anchor one of the nine coal ships waiting their turn to be loaded in at the Newcastle facility. I gather Newcastle is the biggest coal port in Australia.

My brother said that in 'the good old days', there would be upwards of 20 boats queued up out on the horizon. Every time an anchor goes down, the fishing is disrupted and the beds of seagrass are also damaged. Besides when they sit this close to a port waiting for the facility to become available, they can claim demurrage.

Yep, below you can see the tip of a surfer's head.

11 comments:

lizziviggi said...

I love how your coastal pictures are similar to yet completely different from mine. Your water is bluer, your waves and cormorants are bigger, and your barges carry a different fuel source (ours carry oil from Alaska to the refineries that pepper our harbors). Oh yes, and you have a much nicer camera!

Anonymous said...

Very obliging to fly in formation for you.

Unknown said...

Love the contrast of the flying black cormorants to the awesome tourquoise water! Wonderful captures, Julie.

TheChieftess said...

Beautiful!!! Looking out the window at snow covered trees...while on the screen the ocean and sun!!! Ain't the internet grand???

diane b said...

hey, that is what i see when i take off my glasses , two of everything.

James Mark said...

Just looked through this page of your blog and found it fascinating. Thanks for calling in to Whitby, North Yorkshire, UK; I won't be able to maintain that blog on a regular basis as we moved to York last year. I now depend on occasional visits and donated pics from friends to keep it going on a much less than daily basis.

Jayne said...

Wicked waves!
That surfer is a braver man than me, Gunga Din!

brattcat said...

and I always thought "coals to newcastle" was a reference to england.

Joan Elizabeth said...

Oh I can feel the freedom of the birds and the sea breeze. Lovely.

Cloudy said...

Let the stars guide you to your ways, the angels accompany you and protect ...

Merry Christmas from Germany
Kvelli

Around Alice with Mike said...

Good to see my home beach all the way over here! Beautiful colours.