Sue and myself had been to Sculpture By The Sea. Since we had arrived there before sunrise, it was quite early when we left. We travelled back to Bondi Junction, then caught the 350 bus to Maroubra Beach. Before setting out into the National Park, we had breakfast at a cafe in the main street.
Our main aim was to see the resident Peregrine Falcons and check on their nesting progress. But when you visit Malabar Headland National Park, you often experience a lot more.
On the walk out, we spotted a Nankeen Kestrel –
Suddenly, a second Kestrel arrived. We thought they may have about to mate, but later looking at the photos, it seems that the one that flew in was delivering food – a skink – to the one already there.
The second one then flew off.
And so did the first.
I had watched where it had gone, and it seemed to disappear in the cliffs. I looked through binoculars and eventually spotted it in a cave. I took a few photos. While looking at the photos, I could see the cave was a nest. The Nankeen Kestrel was sitting on eggs (probably four).
As we left that area, another raptor appeared. It was a Black-shouldered Kite.
We continued out to the Peregrine Falcon area. We had to wait a while before one appeared. It was the female. I landed on the cliffs, and then started calling out.
We thought it must have been calling for its mate. It then flew around a bit along the cliffs.
It then appeared agin and perched on the cliffs, a fair way away.
And then the male flew in –
Then they both flew off. The female probably returning to the nest.
We later saw one perched on the cliffs –
Looking down at the sea, we could see the Silver Gulls gathered around something. We wondered if it was a turtle.
It looked more like a floating lump of seaweed.
Then a Pelican flew past –
The Peregrine falcon was still in the same place.
Then, later, we spotted both the pair perched near each other.
Then one flew off.
We wondered what they had been doing. Perhaps trouble was around? A Sea Eagle or Osprey? We looked out to sea and couldn’t spot anything, but we did see a lot of Shearwaters. They were flying quite close to the shore.
Here is a passing Great Cormorant –
Then the second Peregrine Falcon took off –
We were just about to start walking back to Maroubra, when Sue spotted a Turtle –
We saw two Seals resting on the rocks at the bottom of Dead Mans Gulch –
And a passing Black-browed Albatross –
And more Shearwaters –
On this visit we had not spotted any whales or dolphins, but had seen a lot of other wildlife.