Bar-tailed Godwits at Hen and Chicken Bay – 9 January 2025

I had earlier been on the Greenway Bird Survey, and I then took advantage of the low tide to see the Bar-tailed Godwits at Hen and Chicken Bay, Abbotsford. It was short bus ride.

When I arrived, I walked past some mangroves and soon spotted about 30 Bar-tailed Godwits foraging along the exposed mudflats. I slowly moved closer to the shoreline and then waited for some birds to pass closer. Continue reading

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Greenway Bird Survey – 9 January 2025

I joined in on the bird survey along the Hawthorne Canal section of the Greenway. As usual, the group met at 7:30 am at Taverners Hill Light Rail Station.

On this occasion, it was relatively quiet at the station.

Lower down on the path, we saw this Brush Turkey roosting in a tree – Continue reading

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Birds at Maianbar, Bonnie Vale and Audley – 6 January 2025

This was an activity of the National Parks Association of NSW led by Brian Everingham. The main aim was to look for birds.

Our first stop was the mudflats at Maianbar. Continue reading

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Long Reef Birds – 5 January 2025

Long Reef has been consistently good lately for photographing Ospreys. This visit was a but unusual. I arrived at the headland around 11 am, but did not see any Ospreys until 2 pm. First one was flying around hunting for fish. Then a second arrived, then a third. So it started as a very quiet day, but got a lot better.

When I arrived, another bird photographer was there. Chang La, and he had not been there long and so far had seen no Ospreys. It was ideal conditions for them – a nice breeze and high tide.

We spotted a lot of small back bird far out at sea. Probably Shearwaters. Continue reading

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Rookwood Necropolis – A Juvenile Brown Goshawk – 4 January 2025

Last summer, I had made a number of visits to Rookwood Necropolis to photograph three just fledged Brown Goshawks. I had made three earlier visits this season to Rookwood – in August, September and October of 2024, and seen some signs that the Brown Goshawks were nesting. But the birds were not in their old nest tree. It seems this summer, they have had one chick.

Arriving at Rookwood, I set off to the Serpentine Creek area, and soon spotted the juvenile Brown Goshawk. Continue reading

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Birds at Sydney Park – 3 January 2025

I decided to make a morning visit to Sydney Park to see what birds were out.

Here is a Noisy Miner with some sort of  food –

Continue reading

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Back to Malabar Headland – 2 January 2025

My previous visit to Malabar Headland had been quite disappointing with only a brief appearance of the juvenile Peregrine Falcon.  This visit was even less successful. I did spot an adult Peregrine Falcon perched on the cliffs, but it remained in the same spot for my entire visit – more than four hours.

I saw this boat pass by. It is apparently a Sydney-Hobart yacht that is limping back with a broken mast. Continue reading

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Narawang Wetlands – 1 January 2025

I had recently heard that a pair of Black-backed Bitterns (Australian Little Bitterns) had successfully been nesting at Narawang Wetlands at Newington. So I spent most of a rather hot day there trying to spot these rather reclusive birds. I had no success on this visit.

Here is a Grey Butcherbird

This Dusky Moorhen is feeding its chick – Continue reading

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Birds at Barton Park – 31 December 2024

I had a pleasant visit to Barton Park and Landing Lights Wetland.

The highlight of this visit was watching a pair of foraging Buff-banded Rails.

But first, at the Landing Lights Wetland. The Pied Stilts were active. Continue reading

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Long Reef Birds – 30 December 2024

After a very quiet day spent at Malabar Headland the day before, I wanted some more raptor action, so I headed up to Long Reef. As soon as I arrived, I spotted an Osprey perched on the cliffs below the lookout.

Walking down towards the rock platform, I spotted a second OspreyContinue reading

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