Music and Waders

 We have joined the Prahran Mechanics Institute Victorian History Library as they seem to have a very interesting collection of books and look to do some interesting related events.  One of these was a concert (?recital?) of music from the 19th century by the Four Seasons String Quartet.  We bowled along and they did a very interesting hour of music.  They also started with a buffet (funded by Stonnington Council) included pastry stuffed with chocolate!  It appeared this was PMI's first venture into music, and we hope it won't be the last: having sold all seats should encourage them.

The second musical event was going to be an oboe/piano duet at St Paul's Cathedral.  When we got there it emerged that the oboeist was unwell so a viola/piano duo pinch hit.  The performers (Yi-Sheng Cheng, piano and Lucas Levin, viola) were very good (we have seen them before) but 2 of the 3 movements of  the Viola Concerto by York Bowen were rather dull. The third movement - denoted Allegro giocoso - was much more appealing to me. ("Giocoso" is an expression used to instruct performers to play with a playful or cheerful quality, evoking a sense of joyful and carefree spirit.  The players did just that!)

I was intrigued to see a procession of religious looking folk slide down the side and across the choir in the middle of the performance - it reminded me of some of the darker parts of Harry Potter!  The viola player was in the modern mode with his music on an iPad and I spent some time trying to out when and how it updated.  Frances had worked out that he had a pedal on the floor to give his device the message!

Waders came around as there have been many eBird reports of waders on the beach at St Kilda.  I went there on 15 July and scored the uncommon Red-necked Stint.  My camera battery ran out, and the spare was in another bag so all I got was a very crap phone photo (which enough to get the record accepted).

There had been a comment that the sand in the relevant area was very grubby due to the dirty water coming in from a Creek.  This meant fastidious dog owners kept their mutts out of the area.  These folk were not fussy!

There were a few other species about so I mentioned my list to another birder in 505 and he expressed interested so we both went back on the 16th.  Here is the habitat:

I had my camera (with functioning battery this time) so got some better snaps of the Stints.


Also of a Red-capped Plover  ...
... and a red-cap with an uncommon Double-banded Plover.
Here are a couple of the Double-banded Plover on its own.

The birds were surprisingly unfussed by a couple of rioting cavoodles which cavorted in the mud!





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