bush stone-curlew

Spent some lovely hours with the boys, having lunch, swimming, walking the beach and watching the boys on the jetty fishing.
It's great to see them happy and lively and full of information about their new home, including the bush stone curlew.

While on the beach there was a huge kerfuffle under the Beach Almond trees and two curlews were shouting and yelling...seemingly at each other.
Related to oyster catchers and plovers they are mainly grassland hunters and ground dwellers but do come down the the shoreline amongst the grasses and mangroves.
They have a serious turn of speed on the ground...rather like a road runner...and a strange habit of freezing motionless like statues when disturbed, even to the point of lying horizontal like a fallen stick.
Also, rather unflatteringly I think, called the Bush Thick -Knee ..though they do have knobbly knees!

Hoping to catch another glimpse of these funny birds to add to the growing list of wildlife, including the appearance of a cane toad at the edge of the restaurant verandah this evening!