Samphire step-out with flighty Bustard

Saunter over samphire and other salt-loving stunted stuff today turned briefly into long-range stepping out withAustralian Bustard.

Distance between us narrowed slowly before the bird chose company of two others well away from me.

Which left the plentiful Horsfields Bushlarks free to tease with flights all around me. Fluked just one aerial frame.

But similar walk the other day - and some knee-walking-crawling - turned up one Bushlark more trusting than commonly.

More crawling elsewhere led to closeup of Australian Pipit.

And nearby found Lesser Black Whipsnake sunning on ground turned over by pigs. No crawling, not for fear of snake, rather because it let me walk within touching distance.

Top picture taken from 5metres with 600mm lens, above picture from 20cm with newish iPod. Note the difference in image quality.