Before the dawn

I'm outside on the deck, the planks sodden from another 20mm of gentle, soaking rain over the last 24 hours, the sun is still far below the eastern horizon and the twittering of birds calling for the dawn is astounding. They are obviously relishing the availability of fresh raindrops hanging from every leaf, waiting for their eagerly gaping beaks to sip. A fluffing of feathers helps to wash the dust off and rejuvenate their finery for another day.
The Cape Robin-chat is the most vociferous of all in the hour before dawn, and their ebullience is infectious. In close competition is the Southern Double-collared Sunbird, irrepressibly cheerful at any time of the day, and making a good substitute for an alarm clock if close enough to the window.
The thundering of the sea as the waves surge into the bay slightly mutes the calls of the seabirds, but their numbers provide quite a chorus of shrill cries as they stir for a day's foraging on the rocks and out on the ocean waves
The skies are lightening over the cloud cover, the remnants of the cold front wisping away for a while before the next one arrives, and before we know it, the winter days will become longer and we will be welcoming spring. So enjoy the freshness and wetness, particularly before the dawn - best part of the day!