My mobility has been reduced because we aren't allowed to drive alone anymore. Too many people were getting into accidents on post, most of them from backing up a truck without an assistant. My argument that I only go forward when driving alone didn't fly.

As a result I decided to walk to the pond after a meeting. It was 115 degrees and I had all my gear on, which adds 5 degrees. I was completely exhausted after about a 4 mile walk. It would be easy to get heatstroke here. I brought plenty of water with me.

The pond had four white-winged terns feeding. One was starting to get its fall plumage. Its face was starting to turn white. I had excellent looks at a
whiskered tern and a blue-cheeked bee-eater.

The young black-winged stilts have now fledged and are adult size with darker plumage.

I saw one little egret feeding on the far side of the pond. The first one I've seen here. I saw some in the southern marshes in February. Soon I should start seeing the first of the southbound migrant shorebirds.

The resident wood pigeons are still nesting in the big eucalyptus trees.

On the bug front I'm starting to hear some different things that I haven't yet found the source. One I am hearing at night is probably a katydid of some sort, one during day may be a cicada or it may be some sort of cricket.