A Black Noddy, a rare visitor to Sydney, had been resident at the Curl Curl rock pool for a few days, and I thought it worth a visit. A few years ago, I photographed a Common Noddy (Brown Noddy) at Long Reef. The Black Noddy was probably blown south by Cyclone Alfred.
When I arrived at the Curl Curl rock pool, I saw a pair of Ospreys flying past me and out to sea to hunt. Here is one of them –
And sure enough, I spotted a bird perched on the rock pool railing. It was the Black Noddy.
I could get quite close to it with scaring it.
I wanted to get some photos of tit in flight. It suddenly moved down to the side of the pool.
Then all of sudden it flew out to sea.
And it soon returned and landed on the railing again.
A swimmer walked past.
It flew off and returned.
Then another short flight.
This time it landed on a rock in the middle of the pool.
A Little Pied Cormorant was also perched there.
The Black Noddy flew back to the railing.
And then finally a better flight.
I was happy to see the Noddy, so I then walked along the coastal cliff to Dee Why, and travelled to Long Reef. The tide was high and I was on the lookout for Ospreys. I soon spotted one.
It was hunting for fish. It dived.
But pulled out.
It wheeled around, and then dived again.
It didn’t get the fish.
It landed out near the island.
It them flew past again.
Some Sooty Oystercatchers (with one Pied Oystercatcher) flew past.
Here are four Sooty Oystercatchers –
And a last photo of four Ospreys flying over the lookout –
