Birds in the Storm

A huge storm cell has been hovering off the south east coast of Australia for the past 24 hours.

radar image this afternoon

We had torrential rain and powerful winds in the night, gradually easing after midday today. There are tree branches down here, and the corrugated iron blew off the firewood stack. In other places roads are closed, power is out, and floods are threatening. When the rain stopped we drove out to the point to see the ocean.

monster waves at honeymoon beach

Great globs of foam were blowing in the air, whipped up in small rocky coves by wind and waves.

pinnacles in a sea of foam

Trees and shrubs exposed to the south bent almost double in the gale. Then we went down to our more sheltered beach where the huge swell thundered past, and we wondered how long it would be before the first surfers arrived with their boards.

waves looked like hills!

Here little birds called to each other as they dived from one thicket to another. Seagulls and gannets soared and wheeled in the sky, seeming to play with the wind.

gannets over shag rock

A Reef Heron kept low on the rocks near the lagoon which was emptying out in volume, rich brown water colouring the surf.

reef heron near shore

A lone Sooty Oystercatcher stood at the edge of the sea, retreating a little as each wave seemed to come further in over the rocks.

sooty oystercatcher against the spray

We went home past fallen branches and running gutters to the warmth of our slow combustion stove and the kettle on the fire. Not much chance of seeing Venus transiting the sun!

For more news on the wild weather http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-05/nsw-bad-weather/4053742