Cooks River Birds – 31 July 2024

I spent the morning on the Cooks River – between Illawarra Road and Gough Whitlam Park. The highlight of this visit was observing the resident Sacred Kingfisher for a fair time.

When I walked down from Illawarra Road, I spotted the Kingfisher perched on a branch over the water.

It moved around a fair bit.

Some of its stances were hard to photograph –

But it seemed to like this one a lot –

It then flew downstream. I walked down slowly, but could not spot it. Here are some other birds along the river –

Little Pied Cormorant

Little Black Cormorant

White-faced Heron

Willie Wagtail

I had heard several Orioles calling and eventually spotted one.

Olive-backed Oriole

Australian White Ibis

I then turned around and walked back upstream.

King Parrot

And the Sacred Kingfisher was back in the upstream section before Illawarra Road.

Here is has a crab –

Now it is coughing up a pellet –

And then it is time for more carbs… or rather more crabs.

The crab had escaped.

Now a stand-off with a Noisy Miner.

The Kingfisher uses its beak for defence.

But this Pelican flying upstream also had attracted trouble. A Magpie was attacking it.

Meanwhile the Sacred Kingfisher had another crab.

Down it goes…..

But perhaps not quite!

That’s better.

This time a gang of Noisy Miners assembles.

But the Kingfisher does not seem too worried.

This had been a very pleasant session on the River.

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