I decided to visit Sydney Park again, mainly to get more photos of the Pacific Baza, if it was still around.
I did find the Baza, but I also spotted two other fairly rare birds for the inner west, a Boobook Owl and a Hoary-headed Grebe.
The usual way to find the Baza is to walk around the likely parts of the park where it could be – places with Eucalypt trees., and then listen for the pandemonium created by Noisy Miners harassing the bird. This visit, I had to walk a bit further than usual.
Here are some birds I saw –
Grey Butcherbird
Dusky Moorhen
Eurasian Coot
Hoary-headed Grebe
Then I heard a Noisy Miner kerfuffle. I looked in a tree where the noise was coming from and spotted this Currawong –
But it had joined the Noisy Miners in harassing a Boobook Owl –
And the Pacific Baza was on the far side of the nearby pond.
Here it is being dive-bombed –
After eating, these birds always seem to clean their bill –
Dive-bombed again –
I then left the Baza, and went looking for Tawny Frogmouths. I suspected they may not be nesting. I was right. I spotted one on a nest –
But I missed the second Tawny. Another bird photographer told me where to look. And I showed her the Boobook Owl.
Australasian Grebe
And a few more shots of the Pacific Baza –
